Game Forty-Three: Habs vs. Senators

THIRD PERIOD:

- Yeah I know, faceoff specialist yadda yadda, abut there's no way you'll convince me that Malhaltra benefits this team and its fourth line than say, a ChristianThomas. Beyond taking draws, he's mostly a dearth.

- Therrien's line juggling, including moving Galchenyuk to the wing, Desharnais back to centre, ain't working. And I mean by "ain't working" as NOT AT ALL.

- At this point I do believe Therrien is wearing a blindfold and is generating lines by touching random players on the shoulder. That's all he's got to offer, I guess.

- Nine minutes left. This is the point where the Sens start to implode, right?

- Parenteau won't let the Sens collapse. Takes a very, very stupid high sticking penalty. That's basically his contribution tonight.

SECOND PERIOD:

- Pacioretty goes in hard, falls, appears to take a hard bump into the post with his knee.

- Karlsson. Top corner. Habs, especially Malhaltra and Parenteau, get caught sleeping. Gilbert also way out of position. Lots of muck up to be shared. 3-1. Methinks this is headed towards blowout territory.

- Therrien drawing names out of a hat to construct his 2nd, 3rd and 4th lines. Galchenyuk has been moved to the wing. Why? I guess because this is his idea of good coaching. 

- Habs on their second powerplay, still waiting for Beaulieu to finally score his first. He's come so close so many times.

- Forget that. Markov muffs it up and the line and is forced to trip. Probably shouldn't double shift him so quickly. That was a tired legs penalty.

- Parenteau really has fallen off the face of the earth, hasn't he? Not being helped by being subjected to poor line combinations by Therrien.

- Remember how good the Habs powerplay looked about 23 hours ago? Man, that seems like a distant memory now.

- Well, I guess that wasn't quite as bad a period as the first, but it still wasn't very good. Habs outshooting Sens 2-to-1, but a lot of that came as a result of some poor penalties taken by Ottawa forwards. Still don't see a whole lot of hope that the Habs will (again) salvage something out of nothing in the third period.

FIRST PERIOD:

- Well, that feels familiar. Another terrible start for the Habs. Hoffman a point shot, not overly difficult, Tokarski kicks in straight out to a streaking and un spotted Zibanejed, and it's 1-0.

- Yup. Bad Habs showing up tonight. Five minutes in, shots are 7-0 Sens. Looks like the Habs are going to take a hammering courtesy the back to back starts.

- If current trends continue, Sens will outshoot the Habs 66-18 tonight. 

-:When Emelin is your first food scoring chance 14 minutes into the game that tonight probably isn't going to be your night.

- Complete neutral zone muckup between Cowen and Ceci gifts Pacioretty a gift break, a wrister that Anderson probably should have gotten a piece of. Tie game. Sens mess up big time.

- I was all like, wow, Emelin played well last night! Thinking all like, maybe Emelin isn't all bad and stuff, Ya know?? Okay. Nevermind. Total stumble and bumble routine in front of Tokarski, Pageau eventually finding the open net. Emelin hurts the team again, costing them another goal. Again. 2-1.

- I was joking earlier when I said the Sens were on pace to get 66 shots tonight. Now I'm not so sure ....

- Well that really was a terrible period of hockey, with the Sens registering 20 shots. That the Habs are only one goal down represents a minor miracle. 

GAMEDAY GAME PREVIEW:


Oh, Radek Bonk. We miss you. That hair. That pretty boy face. Those expectations of greatness from being drafted number one overall. You really were and are the Ottawa Senators  - so full of expectations, invariably leading to so much disappointment. 

Anywho ... it's a good day, isn't it? Last night the Habs played one of their better games this season, edging out the Jackets on the scoreboard 3-2, but on the ice, more or less completely dominating their opponent. The Plekanec/Pacioretty/Gallagher line was a mind boggling +58 in shot attempts. Even Alexei Emelin wasn't (totally) terrible. 

Can this team keep it up? Can their woeful powerplay continue to produce the same way it was zapping up the red light in the 3rd period last night? Granted, this was Columbus, but they aren't really as bad as their record suggests, what with all their injuries sustained this season.

And tonight, the Habs will take on a similar opponent in Ottawa. The Senators are floating somewhere near the lesser parts of the eastern standards, although unlike the Blue Jackets, they can't use injuries as an excuse. The Jackets have lost 266 man games so far this year, Ottawa just over 100.

Anywho, here's the Sens' lines tonight:

Line 1: MacArthur-Turris-Chiasson Line 2: Hoffman-Zibanejad-Ryan Line 3: Michalek-Pageau-Stone Line 4: Condra-Legwand-Lazar Methot/Karlsson
Cowen/Ceci
Wiercioch/Gryba

Anderson.

So what's up with the Sens? Not a lot that's good. They're home after a four game road trip where they picked up just one win, Ottawa bears some distinct similarities to the Habs - they're not much of a possession team, ranked along with the Habs in the bottom third in the League, they're about the same as far as offensive output is concerned - where there are clear difference is defensively - the Habs have given up more than a half goal less per game than has Ottawa. Fundamentally, the game tonight will be decided by how good the Sens defense hold up, versus how poorly the Habs blue line plays.

One other factor - starting goaltending. Ottawa is expected to start their number one, Craig Anderson, while Dustin Tokarski will probably start for Montreal (even more likely considering the hard bump Carey Price took last night in the first period against Columbus).

Puck drops at 7:40, EST.

Game Nine: Habs vs. Oilers

Third Period:

- I realize it isn't particularly original to harp on the officiating, but Emelin gets two minutes for simply delivering a hard body check. I can't fathom what the official was thinking, but it once again puts the Habs a man down.

- Pretty lame Oilers powerplay all night - the Oilers with a meager 13 shots on goal, and the Habs still not rewarded for their efforts. A strange game.

- Habs pushing here, Oikers can ill afford to sit on this lead.

- Habs now regressing, playing as though they have a 2-0 lead. Game rapidly going. Nowhere fast.

- Eberle dives, ref gets suckered. Desharnais to the box.

- Schultz with blatant goaltender interference on Tokarski, no call. Abysmal.

- Wonder how different the result might be if Gallagher doesn't interfere, costing the Habs the Pacioretty no-goal? I'm figuring completely different.

- Boyd Gordon must be insane, throwing his limbs point blank in front of a Subban slapper.

- Oilers blocking everything in sight, suffocating the Habs to death tonight.

- Kind of embarrassing to get shut out by the worst defensive team in hockey, but here we are.

- The Pat Roy three minute pull. Desperate times. Desperate times.

- Okay, so let's see if Calgary works out better. It sure looks like the lucky charms that fed the Habs 7-1 start were eaten up tonight.

Second Period:

- Galchenyuk has amazing speed, he seems to actually get faster each game.

- Oilers defense looking ragged and vulnerable, there an awful lot of open ice in the slot while Habs are attacking. Can't foresee the score staying at zero much longer.

- Annnnnmd Yakopov scores. The guys that can't score contributing. Against us, of course. Beaulieu totally out of position, that's all part of the learning curve, I suppose. 2-0.

First Period:

- Really marginal hooking call on Markov, sets the tone for a micro managed game.

- Oy. Call on Prust truly preposterous. Here we go.

- Pacioretty doesn't get nearly enough credit for the contribution he makes to the PK. Positionally he's just so solid.

- Tokarski with some fine work so far - he's very well set in his crease, helps him to make easier saves.

- Don't know what Desharnais was thinking but that high stick kills a Habs powerplay before it even gets started.

- I still think Prust is this lineup's weakest link, and when Sekac returns he ought be the odd forward out.

- I love Gallagher to death but this isn't the first time his aggressive push to the net has resulted in a waved off goal. Sigh.

- incredibly hard hit by Yakopov on Emelin. I felt that through my TV set. Well if he can't score I suppose he has other good uses.

- Questionable call on Subban. Therrien is fuming. 

- And Poiliot buries. Blah. Tokarski probably would like that one back. 1-0 Edmonton.

- Good news for Edmonton. They lead after one. Bad news for Edmonton. They lead after one against the Habs.

Gameday Game Preview

Read it and weep Habs haters. READ IT AND WEEP. Number one in the League! PLAN THE PARADE.

Okay, so these moments are fleeting, so might as well milk it for all it's worth. Indeed, our beloved Montreal Canadiens stand atop not just Division or Conference standings, but on top of the whole damn League. The Habs are off to their best season start in 53 years, which is actually before I was born, which means it's been a LONG time.

What's the reason for all this success? The heck if I know. The offensive ranking is a mediocre 12th. The defensive ranking is very mediocre 17th. The powerplay ranking is not even good enough to be called mediocre. Rated 23rd currently. The PK? Eh. Not bad. 11th.

But really, if you examine the major metrics that influence the bottom line, it doesn't add up, does it? All those sub-par figures, and yet, seven wins in eight games. The big elephant in the room question is, how much of this is fluke? It's pretty hard to not deduce that the Habs have gotten off to an incredible start - in the luck department.

So now, the Habs have left the comforting confines of the Bell Centre, for a western Canadian road trip that as history will indicate, has not been kind to Montreal. The last time the Habs swept all three pegs of the Edmonton/Calgary/Vancouver hop was back in 1998. For the arithmetically challenged, that's 16 years ago. Since then, the Habs have played 30 combined games in those cities, winning just 8 times. Two of the eight wins came last season.

So maybe the trend is shifting back in the Habs direction? Maybe we're slowly returning to western feasts, rather than famines? Is it too much to ask?

Tonight, hop number one in the journey begins in Edmonton, against the (wouldyabelieve?) streaking Oilers. Three straight wins for Edmonton. It should be noted that two of the three wins came against less than stellar opponents, the Caps last Wednesday, and the Hurricanes last Friday. But one did come against the Lightening, and we all remember what happened a couple of weeks ago when the Habs visited Tampa, right? Or have we mercifully forgotten?

SO TONIGHT. With both teams riding nice little winning streaks, the Oilers will send out their usual lineup of "young guns" against Dustin Tokarski. The Oilers' scoring sheet is led, unsurprisingly, by Taylor Hall (7 pts) and Jordan Eberle (6 pts). Of concern to Edmonton is the continuing production (or lack of) Nail Yakupov, who's netting just one goal in eight games, and has generated a -6 +/-. It's been more or less the same ol' story for Nail, the sure-fire, can't-miss first overall draft choice, underwhelming viewers and paid customers with listless performances.

 Even though they're self-proclaimed guns, the Oilers offense isn't off to much of a start, winning streaks considered. 14th ranked offense,  12th rated powerplay. The big albatross, as usual, is their defense and suspect goaltending. At 3.88 goals surrendered per game average, the Oilers find themselves ranked dead last in the League. Much like last year. And the year before that. And the year before that. You know what? You gotta go back to 2008-09 as the last time Edmonton's defense wasn't at or near the bottom. That season, they finished a stellar 21st in the League. Oilers hockey. Be there!

Nathan Beaulieu will get a start tonight for the Habs. Jarad Tokarski will enjoy a few drinks up in the press box.

Puck drops at 9:40 EST.

Game Three: Habs vs. Flyers

Overtime:

- Well, If you're gonna pick one guy you want on the break to win the game it's Galchenyuk. Great save by Emery.

- Embelishment. Yeah, Chris Lee is a sucker for that. Flyers to the powerplay.

- Combination of terrible Flyers powerplay and brilliant PK gives the Habs a shootout shot.

- Parenteau in the 4th round and would you believe it, the Habs win the game. Incredible.

Third Period:

- How many scoring chances have the Habs had so far? Five. Just one with the man advantage. That's coming as close to officially not showing up at all, as you can possibly get in a game of hockey.

- Simply put, failing a crazy bounce, Habs are almost certainly going to be shut out tonight. 

- Well, Markov making me look good again. Flyers defense looking terribly flustered, relatively routine wrister for Andrei. 3-1.

- Habs have, erm ... come to life. 

- Wow. Habs pouring it on, Flyers absolute zone meltdown, and tutlepleks cashes in his 4th. It's a one goal game. I'm astounded.

- Flyers defense too focused on hitting bodies and not nearly enough on zone cocerage on mobile wingers. Habs getting more than ample opportunities to tie this thing up.

- Good lord. There it is. Brilliant slap pass Plekqnec on Glachenyuk's stick and in. The Habs tie the game. The Flyers are stunned. I am too.

- Habs third periods this season have been incredible. Too bad their firsts have been so awful.

- Fllyers sat on it, Ray Emery in net, and a sure lead blown. It's astounding, but not really.

Second Period:

- Simmonds. Powerplay. 3-0. Flyers keep it simple and capitalize. Why the Canadiens don't do the same is baffling. Habs really in deep now.

- Habs just plain listless in this period. Too many thinking about going home, methinks.

- If a team like the Flyers can make the 1-3-1 work, maybe Habs should consider the same?

- Almost Eller. Almoat Bourque. It's one of those nights.

- Habs were hoping to go to 3 and 0 for he first time in 10 years. It's not going to happen.

First Period:

- So Emelin out, Tinordi in, and Nahthan Beaulieu will get a few shifts next PK Subban. 

- Man, that Flyers defense looks slow. It's a poor matchup against a team like the Canadiens.

- Did you blink? You might have missed two Flyers goals, first after blown coverage by Beaulieu, the second after Parenteau makes a bad turnover. So um .... yeah. 2-0.

- Well, at least the Habs have now woken up and remembered they're playing a hockey game. The poor starts to each game this season are finally hitting this team (deservedly) hard.

- Nifty kill by the Habs, Flyers are so thin at the line, don't be surprised if their man advantage ranks near the bottom third of the League this year.

- How can this Habs team with so much talent and speed be so terrible with the man advantage?

- Habs back to their dump-and-chase ways tonight. It's killed their powerplay, it's given Emery a pretty soft period.

- Another disastrous start to a first period puts the Habs into another scoreboard deficit. The good news is the Canadiens held much of the play edge after the two early goals, but their powerplay continues to look atrocious. Still early, but the margins for error are pretty narrow if Montreal hopes to salvage this night.

Pregame Goo:

Do you remember a time when the Flyers were a dreaded, feared organization for the Habs faithful? I sure do. From about 1995 to about ... I dunno ... three years ago, I hated Philadelphia. HATED THEM.

That hate was more born out of fear than anything, because for a good 15 season, Philly owned us. From the mid 90s when a desperate Serge Savard traded away the Habs best forward, John Leclair, the Habs wins against the Flyers have been few and far between. They haven't won in Philadelphia for five damn years.

But that was then. Now? Not so much so. The Flyers have been going through a difficult transition of late, this summer being no different as Philadelphia gave then GM Paul Holmgren a nice little "here's another job for you so you don't do any more damage job" job, and moved in former Flyers netminder Ron Hextall.

Now, the Flyers did manage to make the playoffs last year, but they faced an array of challenges this summer with respect to having more than a few overpaid, underproducing players under contract. Hextall, in an attempt to fix their cap problems, traded Scott Hartnell for R.J.Umberger, a deal that surely will haunt this franchise for years to come.

Hextall only compounded the problems when he signed Michael Del Zotto, Nick Schultz, and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. Well, at least they fixed their cap issues. Oh what? They're $5 million over the cap? Oh well then. Nevermind.

Let me put it to you this way. Don't expect to see the Flyers back in the playoffs this season. Or probably the next.

So tonight!! The Habs aim to start their year three and oh! Carey Price returns to net, Thomas Plekanec aims to pad his League-leading goals total, and Rogers sports gets its first Saturday night of hockey coverage. Let's hope they don't embarrass themselves the same way they did with Wednesday nights awful, awful coverage.

Pucks drops at 7:10 EST.

Game Seventy-Three: Habs vs. Bruins

Shootout:

- Budaj's last shootout wasn't textbook. Have to favor Rask here.

- Bergeron. Hah. Came in too slow.

- Vanek...nopes. Telegraphed that.

- Budaj 2/2. Habs in good shape.

- Marchand. NO. Budaj great in OT. Now Briere for the win.

- Nope. Where's Galchenyuk???

- Budaj. 4/4. NOW Galcheyuk.

- YES. HABS WIN. WHAT A WIN.

Overtime:

- Julien runs three fowards, Therrien two. Wonder who scores?

- Briere cruises on his OT shift. Inexcusable. Get him off the ice.

- Therrien plays the Gallagher/Galchenyuk kids, but they're totally overmatched. 

- Subban got one OT shift. Then out for the final 17 seconds. Beats me.

- Well win or lose in the shootout, Habs have played a pretty remarkable road game. Weaver and Gionta were fantastic, Emelin with his best game in weeks/months, and the bodily sacrifices made by many others played a key role in the Habs earning at least one point. Gutsy effort.

Third Period:

- Habs PK saving their bacon tonight. Emelin also having one of his best games in a very long time.

- Terrible holding call on Murray. Just watch Boston score on this. Just watch.

- Even more wretched call for hooking on Gallagher, who made a brilliant backcheck. Just atrocious officiating here.

- Not sure if it's the ice conditions but Bruins can't quite make the killer connection with the man advantage. Habs 5 for on the PK.

- Bruins really pressing here. And another Bruins powerplay. Their sixth of the game. No way the Habs can keep holding on. No way.

- Brian Gionta has played a titanic game tonight, in particular the PK. What a game.

- Yup. Something had to give. And it gave. Game tied.

- 3 minutes left Habs just barely holding on to the tie.

- Lucic spears Emelin from behind in the groin. Not called. Classless play by a classless player.

- Well. A point earned. Very hard fought. And at great expense potentially, depending on Moen and Weise's injury status.

Second Period:

- Habs officially now with just 3 lines. Staying in this game will require a minor miracle.

- Bruins swarming to start the period, Habs far too complacent, and are getting railroaded as a result. Don't see the dike holding much longer.

- Remember how Chara was so deeply feared? Not so much anymore.

- Marchand high sticks Subban. Careless stick work will give Habs at the very least some reprieve from the Bruins onslaught.

- Zombie Habs powerplay. That's being charitable.

- Gallagher steps up on Chara. That is awesome on so many levels.

- Habs last powerplay was a mess, but it's stunted some of Boston's momentum. At least. 

- Not for the first time Bourque takes a lazy hook because he doesn't move his legs. Terrible time to take a penalty.

- Habs with a most excellent PK, one sparkling shoulder save by Budaj.

- Another bad Habs penalty this time Bournival holds a stick. Bruins are gonna cash one of these unless the Habs smarten up quickly.

- Budaj so far looking nothing like the mess he was on that west coast trip. Knock on wood.

- Dumb Bruins penalty. Goaltender interference. Just not smart and it lets the Habs off the hook.

- More Boston lack of discipline. Habs getting this served on a platter, need to convert on the man advantage.

- Boychuk. Brain cramp. Huge chance for Habs here - 44 second 2 man advantage.

- Bruins an incredible job 2 men down blocking the passing lanes.

- Didn't score, that's gonna hurt. 

- Bruins lack of composure and discipline in the 2nd, it's all the more amazing given that this is a team that hasn't lost in a month. Of the 12 straight games won, Boston has only trailed once headed to the 3rd period. Gonna be a fascinating final 20 minutes.

First Period

- Moen vs. Miller. Moen coming to the defense of Weise, and promptly get KO'd. He's done for the night, and now the Habs find themselves in real roster trouble.

- Habs powerplay was going nowhere until Emelin with an inoxuous shot from line redeflects, and Habs take 1-0 lead. It was a difficult but not impossible redeflect to stop.

- Bruins playing very hard very physical but but not very smart. So some advantage of the offering here for the Habs - at least early.

- Budaj flip flopping away with puck around the crease. Not a good sign.

- Habs benefited with two powerplays first half of the period, but since then, Bruins have overtaken possession and are controlling this game. Habs just trying to hold the wall.

- Bruins very aggressive in the neutral zone, basically breaking up any semblance of a Habs transition. It's been very effective since the 8 minute mark.

- Habs clinging. Just barely clinging here. Budaj muffs a Bergeron bankhander but it hits the post.

- Aside from the scoreboard, pretty tough period for the Habs - essentially losing their 4th line for the night (and beyond?), and basically getting manhandled by a constant Bruins attack. Bruising period, very intense, and significantly in Boston's favor. Habs will need to figure out getting their transition game on track, or Boston will take control in the 2nd.

LINEUPS

- Tinordi out, Bouillon in, Murray in. And of course, Budaj starts.

#MichelTherrienHockey


GAMEDAY GAME PREVIEW:

So what else is there to really say, other than let's lay it out on the table. The Bruins are playing ridiculously good hockey right now, resting a good chunk of their lineup, and yet, since the start of this month, winning games with ease. Their 12 game winning streak has propelled them from a mild battle for top spot in their Division, to the best record in the National Hockey League. If you're a Boston Bruins fan, life is good.

The facts don't lie. Matched up tonight, the Bruins dominate the Habs like crazy in most major statistical areas. So as mentioned, let's put it on the table.

Fenwick For %:
4. Boston: 52.9%
21. Montreal: 48.7%

Corsi For %:
3. Boston: 54.7%
25. Montreal: 47.6%

PDO:
2. Boston: 103.
11. Montreal: 100.3

Goals/Game:
2. Boston: 3.2
20. Montreal: 2.51

Goals Against/Game:
2. Boston: 2.08
11. Montreal: 2.5

Powerplay:

6. Boston: 20.4%

13. Montreal: 18.8%

Penalty Kill:

4. Montreal: 85.5%

9. Boston: 83.7%

SpG:
5. Boston: 32.0
24. Montreal: 28.8

SApG:
12. Boston: 29.0
21. Montreal: 30.7

Save the PK, a relatively minor indicator, the Bruins dominate across the board. They are (easily) arguably the East's only elite hockey team. They are deservedly going to finish first in the Conference.

That said, there's a very small dent in Boston's armor. It's that PDO. At 103, it's high. Way too high, I'm certain, for Claude Julien's liking. It's an indicator that the Bruins, while putting up some pretty good numbers against, granted, some pretty weak Conference competition, has also been assisted by the element of luck. And as other teams, in particular in Toronto Maple Leafs, you can't hold out on luck indefinitely. For most of the year, Toronto has been putting up horrendous possession numbers, and yet managed to win enough to keep them very playoff spot competitive, largely because their goaltending has been excellent. Well, that's all coming undone - the Leafs luck string has officially run out, and they now find themselves in a complete free-fall.

Are the Bruins facing a readjustment? That 103 PDO might suggest so, but the team's core numbers, possession, offense and defense, are so strong, that an end to the shooting luck streak probably won't be significant enough to result in a dramatic win/loss decline.

In other words, the Habs have their hands totally full tonight, so Therrien's decision to go with Budaj, who's had a pretty terrible month of March, just doesn't make sense.

You go to to a gunfight with a gun. Tonight, Therrien's roster strategy is essentially arming his team with a shiv.

Puck drops at 7:40 EST.


GAMEDAY GOO:

Happy Monday! Happy game day! Tonight the Habs head in Boston to take on the hottest team in hockey, the Bruins riding a 12 game winning streak. So this is BIG. We gotta bring out THE BIG GUNS.

So with that in mind, let's see what's happening today:

- With his team facing a critical game against one of the toughest opponents seen all season, Michel Therrien announced that start netminder Carey Pr ... uh ... he ... sorry what's that? (checks earpiece) ... I'm sorry, he's announced Peter Budaj will start tonight.

Uh. K?? Anyway, when challenged this morning about making this seemingly insane decision, Therrien said he's starting Budaj to avoid Price playing back to back games. So ... I'm guessing by this rationale, Therrien is assuming a loss tonight, instead hoping to play his big chips against the 30th placed Buffalo tomorrow night. Call me crazy, but if the Habs can't beat the lowly Sabres with Budaj in goal, they probably don't even deserve to finish the season with a playoff spot.

Anyway, Michel Therrien hockey, folks.

- Doug Murray will probably, amazingly, be playing tonight, possibly paired with Subban. Michel Therrien hockey, folks.

More in a bit.

Game Forty-Nine: Habs vs. Leafs

Third Period:

- Habs better in the second, 61% Fenwick, slight overall edge (52%) as we head to the third.

- Decent start to the 3rd. I remain steadfast the Habs will fade the deeper the period goes.

- Habs pressing, Leafs sitting on this quite a bit. Just one shit halfway through the period (very weak at that). Leafs simply watching the puck. Don't know if they can maintain this, even against the offensively incompetent Habs.

- Question answered. Subban with a wrister that banks off the post. Not sure if there was a deflection. Dirty goal. Tie game.

- Really surprised by how much the Habs have outplayed the Leafs in this period. Toronto just doesn't seem to have the horses to maintain pace. How the heck do they have 53 points? (Yeah yeah shootouts).

- Markov misses his check, and Emelin plays the puck and not the streaking van Reimsdyk. 4-3.

- Officials calling nothing. Leafs commiting countless offenses that are normally always called.

- Habs outperformed Leafs majority of the game, but their slow start did them in. Leafs just find a way of winning these games. Oh well. What goes up must come crashing down. They'll be crashing soon enough.

The Habs, meanwhile, are crashing in slow motion.

Second Period:

- As predicted, Habs indeed had 40% Fenwick (closed), less than 20% 5v5 in the first. That's ... astoundly abysmal.

- Habs attempting to grind this game to a halt in the second. But given how much Therrien is short-shifting his bench, the Habs probably don't have the horsepower to carry this through 60 minutes.

- I'm not afraid to admit it. God I love Brenden Gallagher. 

- Beaulieu with the fatal mistake of dishing instead of passing. The kid will learn for it, we hope. Meanwhile Price with a sensational stop off the resulting Kessel breakaway.

- Parros on the ice. Leafs score. Yup.

- Expect that should be Parros' final shift of the night. Otherwise, Leafs are just gonna keep pounding that chicken.

- Parros 3:00 so far. Nattinen 1:45. Habs are essentially playing just 3 lines tonight. No way they'll be able to compete on a level surface in the 3rd. #outcoached

- Too much open ice on the PK. Leafs open passing lanes, and Raymond buries it top shelf. 3-1 and Toronto are on their way.

- Briere with that sizzling Batum-level wrist shot. 

- A gift. Bernier can't handle a simple 60 footer and Gionta buries the juicy rebound. I guess that was his birthday present.

First Period:

- So Bourque, Diaz and Murray are the scratches. Hmmmm .... 

- Not often you see a guy from outer space sing the national anthem. Just sayin'.

- So obligatory Parros/Orr fight by end of the first? There's little other rational for either being in the lineup tonight.

- Leafs seem inclines to focused on hitting to start. It's helping them to generate some turnovers and early possession advantage.

- Alexei Emelin. It's hard to justify that contact when you're made a fool like that. 1-0 Leafs.

- Habs are getting their clocks cleaned by the woeful possession team that are the Leafs. How low can this team go?

- Well, Eller looks good. That's all I got.

- Game settling down a bit but Leafs are still dominating the neutral zone. Plus, the Habs self-inflicted wound that is their 4th line will invariably have to be played. 

- Habs great PK numbers are pure deception. It's mainly Carey Price.

- Emelin is a disaster on skates tonight. The Leafs are going to feast by sending out their number one line against him.

- Habs PP, Leafs PK was totally exhausted. We'll take it. Tie game.

- The scoreboard might be even but it was a woeful period for the Habs. Leafs will probably have close to 60% Fenwick. This from the second worst possession team in the NHL. Gives you an idea how broken the Canadiens are right now.

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

YEAH BABY. It's the Habs and Leafs!! Two fierce rivals clash head-to-head in an ongoing battle to make the NHL playoffs. Two teams that have woefully inept offensive units, can't keep possession of the puck to save their lives, besieged by inept coaching which has fans from both sides of the aisle screaming for a coup d'etat. It's a match made in heaven!!

Do the Leafs even have 20 players to ice tonight? I'm looking at their presumed lineup, and it's looking .. uh ... thin?

But the Leafs are hot!! Winners of three in a row. Well, two of them were extra time victories. Which brings up the larger point - Toronto has managed to defy the rules of gravity most of this year. The Leafs have played 16 games requiring either extra time and/or a shootout, and they've won 11 of them. Sheesh. To put this into perspective, if the Leafs had only won a reasonable number of these games, say ... half, they'd be sitting in 13th place in the Conference, instead of their current position of the first wildcard position.

The Leafs have been incredibly fortunate. They have the 2nd worst fenwick percentage in the League, a pathetic 42%. The sheer fact they've been able to muscle out 24 wins this far, even though they've only had 4 regulation time wins over the past 33 games, is a pretty remarkable acheivement.

The Leafs received a bit of bad (I guess?) news recently with an elbow injury to David Clarkson, serious enough to place him on injured reserve. So with him out, expect the Leafs to serve up the following line combos:

Line 1: van Riemsdyk-Bozak-Kessel

Line 2: Raymond-Kadri-Lupul

Line 3: Kulemin-Holland-Ashton

Line 4: McClement-Orr-Bodie

Meanwhile over in Habsland, the picture isn't a whole lot different or brighter. Continuing to struggle offensively, suffocated by an ineptly over-conservative zone system that has an obsessive emphasis on goal clearance instead of transition, the Habs have some gaps to fill following the injury to Alex Galchenyuk and Ryan White, and a recent team battle with the flu bug which cause David Desharnais to miss a start, and apparently has laid claim to Raphael Diaz. Ergo, the Habs yesterday called up Nathan Beaulieu and Joonas Nattinen from the Bulldogs - expect the later to get 4th line spot duty (you know Therrien won't play him more than 6 minutes, tops), and the former to get paired with (I guess?) Doug Murray. Poor Nathan. He never stood a chance.

So there you have it. Two teams with mightily struggling offenses, playing over their heads for most of the year. So expect the unexpected, I suppose. Two points on the line - two fairly significant points as the Habs try to provide themselves with a bit of distance from "the rest of the pack", while the Leafs try to improve their slender hold on that wildcard spot.

Puck drops at 7:15 EST.

Oh!! By the way, tt's Hockey Day In Canada!

Yeah, me too. Who cares.

Game Forty-Eight: Habs vs. Sens

OMG OUTRAGE! THIS MUST STOP! HOW DARE HE??

Fair to say P.K. Subban's post-goal celebration didn't go over well. #Sens
— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) January 17, 2014

@SunGarrioch making a save there was "necessary".
— Jeff O'Neill (@odognine2) January 17, 2014

Hey Bruce, I've one more response to your pathetic trolling. From last night:

OH, SO NOW THEY CALL THEM UP?

 - Habs announced this morning that Nathan Beaulieu and Joonas Nattinen have been called up. Nattinen to (finally) ensure that Parros doesn't play, and Beaulieu to hopefully (forever) replace ... Doug Murray.

UPDATE: Oh of course. It's not like the coaching staff were motivated to do the right thing by calling up Beaulieu. Seems as though the flu bug is running through the team - both Lars Eller and Raphael Diaz are home today trying to get over the bug.

So Nattinen and more importantly, Beaulieu might just be protection if either/both Eller and Raphael can't play.

IOW, Murray ain't going anywhere.

Ugh.

- We got a biggie post coming up that examines how this year's roster is playing compared to last year's roster. Are we better? Worse? The same??

Stay tuned.

HAPPY FRIDAY

Montreal 5, Ottawa 4 (OT)

Overtime:

- Okay boys, do it for Carey. No way this game ends 4-4 through 60 minutes without Price's performance.

- SUBBAN. Habs grand larceny complete. Unbelievable.

Third Period:

- Really wonder if Bergevin can continue to look the other way with respect to Therrien's tenure if the Habs do indeed go on to lose.

- Doug Murray's shots from the line I'm sure aren't much faster than 20 mph. What's even the point of trying?

- Plekanec is horrible at these breakaways so Cowan decides to help out. Insane. Tie game.

- Well at least the third hasn't been completely lopsided in Ottawa's favour. Sens maybe guilty of sitting on this too much. Habs would be incredibly fortunate to get out of here with a point.

- Bourque with lazy, sloppy turnover at centre ice creates great scoring chance for Turris. Just keep him off the ice, already.

- Well, we got a point. Gladly taken. Can Price steal us one more?

Second Period:

- So good to see Plekanec on the ice to start the period. Habs were outplayed in the first, but the scoring chances weren't ridiculously lopsided: 9-6 in favour of Ottawa.

- Gorges with two consecutive failed zone clearances there - Continutes to struggle with making successful transitions.

- Seems inevitable that the Sens are going to tie this - Habs will need a lucky bounce or two to stay in front. That's unlikely.

- Above all, Bourque does a lousy job working himself into a clear scoring position. Most of the pucks/passes fed his way are usually broken or cleared away by opposing defense.

- It's been years since I've seen a Habs defense so collectively poor at feeding passes forward. It's suffocating this team's offense to death.

- Price can't hold the floodgates indefinitely.

- Sens on pace for 60 shots. Not a typo. 

- Death pool for when Ottawa ties this up. I'll say at 15:30 of this period.

- Carey Price. On Bobby Ryan. An astonishing save. His performance tonight has been incredible.

- Price on Stone. I can't believe my own eyes. Incredible.

- At some point in this game the Sens are going to go insane, thanks to Carey Price.

- Floodgates finally breeched. Ryan. 3-3.

- Gallagher 5 shots tonight, nearly half of all the Habs shots.

- Turris. Price can only do so much. Habs defense in completely disarray, not being helped by shoddy backchecking. Sens should pull away easily in the third.

- Totally abysmal period for the Habs. Price did all he could but really, there's only so much one person can do. Scoring chances line should be embarrassingly one-sided for the Sens. The Habs in general are embarrassing.

First Period:

- Figures that given how horrible the Habs PP has played of late that they'd get offensive production from their PK unit. Plekanec makes it 1-0.

- Carey Price. Oh my. What a glove save on Greening on the break. He couldn't believe Carey made that save. Neither can I.

- Habs might have the early mark, but Sens look to be in full motion. Price will have to steal this one. If he's good, it won't be good enough for the Habs to win tonight.

- Plekanec down after taking a very hard shot off the leg. This is not looking good, and potentially disasterous for the Habs since Pleks has been playing out of his mind the past two weeks.

- Ottawa dominating this - Habs haven't registered a shot in 8 minutes.

- Oddicials just won't call it the Habs way - whether it's disallowed goals or pucks fired into the crowd that are clear-cut delay of games.

- Doesn't matter. Pacioretty with a rocket one timer snap shot top corner, 2-0.

- Good news - Habs lead 2-0. Bad news, Pacioretty is nearly almost the only player on the roster who's scoring goals.

- Holy moly. Sens totally reeling as the gates are opens up for Desharnais to waltz right to Anderson, beats him like an old rug, and the Habs take a 3-0 lead. 

- Well huh. MacArthur with a redeflect that Price really ought to have stopped. Habs are terrible at these 3-0 leads, so here we go again.

- Karlsson. Unchecked. Moen in la la land. 3-2. Yup. Sigh.

- Habs got an incredible start on the board, but coughed it up. Habs gave up one he shouldn't have. Habs yet again soft in their zone, and what seemed like a cruise game has turned right back into the Sens' favour. 19-7 shots on goal., Habs will have to do much much better, or an Ottawa comeback will be inevitable.

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

Gameday Goo

Okay, stop me here if I lose you, 'cause I don't understand the math.

With David Desharnais a *big* question mark to start tonight's game, the Habs are dressing just 11  forwards. We hope.

This against a very, very red hot Sens team, which has lost just one of its past 10 games?

I don't get it.

Could be a suicidal mission tonight. I'm feeling bad for Carey Price already.

More in a bit.

Game Forty-Seven: Devils vs. Habs

HAPPY HUMP DAY!

Do we still suck?

Yeah. We still suck.

 

New Jersey 4, Montreal 1

Third Period:

- Well, we can take some salvation in that we probably don't have to go through with Brodeur stoning the Habs to defeat. Just one more period to endure.

- On three days rest Habs simply have no legs tonight. So what's their excuse?

- Devils are playing the perfect two goal lead, right now. This is how well coached teams with average rosters can put together an above average performance.

- Devils focused on uptempo checking, puck possession. One shot through 12 minutes, I'm sure they could care less.

- Habs really dreadful with transition tonight - Murray is the usual culprit here. If you can't cleanly break out of your zone, you're not going to score. It's that simple.

- Part and parcel with the terrible transition, Habs have had just two starts in the Devils' zone through 14 minutes of the 3rd. Two.

- Prust careless high stick. Shove a fork in the Habs, they're done. Not like they really had a chance. Not tonight. Not with this effort.

- Bourque is simply incapable of finishing plays. It's that simple. His mantra for playing in this League is to score. He cannot. What's the point? 

- Devils might only register one shot in this period. And win easily. #TherrienHockey

- Devils got two shots on net. One into an empty net.

- That whimper you heard was the Habs collective performance tonight. This team right back to where we thought they were. 

Second Period:

- Gelinas with a howitzer from the line, beats Price on the powerplay. Assist to Doug Murray for perfectly screening his goaltender. 2-1.

- Now 3-1, Clowe runs Price even more so than Gallagher did on Brodeur, but this time the refs look the other way as Henrique jams it home. 3-1.

- Open season on Price, Habs defenders unable to hold their crease, refs unwilling to call interference.

- Great play by Eller who held the puck during Habs line change and feeds Gallager in front. 3-2.

- Did Gallagher kick that in?? Looks close.

- Taken away. Because, the Habs.

- Make-up trip call there? Only matters if Habs score on e powerplay. Oh yeah. The powerplay. Forget it.

- An "okay" man advantage, but Habs really couldn't sustain pressure, which is their biggest issue right now. Team doesn't seem capable of making the necessary adjustments.

- So obvious question, if Bourque is seeming incapable of burying his attempts, how is he any asset to a mightily struggling powerplay? Don't get how he's being utilized.

- Another powerplay, another Bourque shift into nothing. This madness must stop.

- Just dismal. Man advantage has zero organization, zero confidence.

- 2nd period controlled by Devils, Habs Saturday night game looking more like an aborrration. Canadiens back to their old bad habits, offense sputtering, powerplay in the wilderness, defense sloppy clearing their zone. Adds up to the Devils lead. See no reason why they shouldn't have little trouble coasting to victory.

First Period:

- Gallagher goes for goaltender interference. Fans don't like the call, but it was correctly assessed. Nonetheless, it's the kind of infraction I love to see.

- Habs PK off to rock solid start, Plekanec looks again tonight like he's got his wheels motering.

- Pacioretty. From 35 feet. Wrist shot. Beats Brodeur. Cold. Brilliant. 1-0 Habs.

- Prust sprung home all alone, and he passes it back to ... Murray? Big Do'h.

- And then Jagr scores. Because, of course. Habs turnover by Gorges. Eller in la la land, Price totally screened.  An easy goal for the likes of Jaromir.

- Bourque has scored this year, right? I can't remeber the last time.

- This period. Not exactly Josh Gorges at his finest.

- Good road period for the Devils - kept the Habs in check, were patient and took advantage of opportunities. Habs somewhat sloppy in their zone, slight indifference contributed to Jersey's game tying goal. Hard to feel out who's got the advantage headed to the 2nd.

Gameday Game Preview:

Okay, let's see if this thing is FOR REALZ.

We're all feeling pretty fine out here on the El Rancho del Habs ... land ... O ... not sure where I was going with that, but anyway, after a resounding victory of the feared Chicago Black Hawks on Saturday night, a few of the faithful are starting to double-think this whole "WE SUCK BECAUSE COACH THERRIEN IS AWFUL AND WE'LL NEVER SEE THE CUP AGAIN" sentiment.

Full disclosure here, I was thrilled by what happened over the weekend, but it hasn't changed my stance about how this team is (or isn't) being coached. I still think that Michel Therrien has turned out to be the guy we thought he was - intemperate, rash and strategically incompetent man incapable of guiding this team to loftier heights. Realistically, his dismissal won't be happening anytime soon - unless the Habs suffer a collapse of Fidenae Amphitheater proportions (I'LL BET YOU HAD TO LOOK THAT UP).

So tonight, last game for Marty Brodeur in Montreal? Sure looking that way. Not that Habs fans will have deep regrets if they never see is face in town again, at least while he's in full gear and standing between goalposts. A career 1.81 GAA against Montreal, Brodeur has eaten us alive over the past 20 or so years. Thanks Marty, but we surrender. Happy trails. Don't come back again, like ... ever ... ya hear?

Bordeur's Devils aren't exactly setting the hockey world on fire. They've only won 2 of their past six games, including Sunday's extra time loss to the Leafs. How embarrassing!!  While New Jersey continues to play its usual defense-first boring tempo, which has given them a 6th overall League rating, their offense, or lack of, has dragged them down badly. With just the 27th rated offense, the Devils have fallen victim to a number of narrow losses this season - 19 of their 28 losses so far have been by one goal margins. That's a sure-fire formula for missing the playoffs.

You'd have to wonder where this team would be had it not signed Jaromir Jagr over the summer (it should have been US ... bah!). He leads New Jersey with 36 points, way ahead of Patrik Elias who's 2nd with (just) 25 points. This team can't score. But then New Jersey has always been that way, haven't they?

The difference this season is that the team is just not as strong defensively as in past years - this is a club in transition, but it's making the right steps, acquiring Cory Schnedier, who'll become the unabashed starter for the organization once Brodeur finally retires - likely at the end of this season.

Over in Habsland, the formula should be simple. Play like you did on Saturday. Coach Therrien is going with basically the same lineup and lines, except that George Parros won't play, and seven defense will be dressed. Now I'm all fine with Parros getting the scratch, but the 7 d is a bit puzzling given they're facing one of the weakest offensive teams in the League.

But that's the coach's decision, I guess. So I'll just shrug my shoulders and hope for the best.

Puck drops at 7:40 EST. It's Brodeur vs. Price.

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



It's game day. Let's get right into some news.

UPDATE: Therrien has changed his mind. Parros will be a healthy scratch tonight. Martin Brodeur has been confirmed as the Devils' starter.

- Habs will be playing same lineup tonight as they did Saturday. That means more Parros and no Bouillon.

- The Montreal Gazette is reporting that Andrei Markov has started negotiations with Marc Bergevin for a contract restriction. Markov, who'll be a UFA at season's end, is representing himself in the talks, after turfing agent Don Meehan in October. At a discount rate, the Habs would be foolish to let Markov walk.

- Marc Bergevin gave a little Q&A yesterday. It was ... shall we say ... not encouraging. To paraphrase the esteemed Habs G.M.:

1. Bergevin is totally happy with Brian Gionta this season, and would gladly welcome him back next year, at the right price. Ugh.

2. Bergevin isn't displeased with Daniel Briere's performance so far, because Briere is an "historically slow starter". Except that Briere isn't. The past four season's, he's averaged a tad under 1 ppg over the first half of the season. This year, he's averaging 0.4 ppg. A significant drop-off. I know Marc was attempting to tie a ribbon around a turd, but who's silly enough to eat such nonsense up?

Okay, enough about Habs management, or lackthereof.

- Speaking of Briere, here's a take from a New Jersey perspective, on why the Devils might be interested in trading for the underachieving Habs forward. DO IT MARC ... oh wait. They want us to take Anton Volchenkov in return? UHHH ... that doesn't help.

- In light of Thomas Plekanec's brilliant performance Saturday night against the Hawks, there's increasing speculation that finally, Pleks might be gathering serious consideration for a Selke Trophy.

- Tonight: Marty Bordeur's final start in Montreal? Odds are, if he is played ... that this will be his final curtain call.

More later.

Game Forty-Five: Habs vs. Flyers

QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Is Michel Therrien still employed as head coach of the Montreal Canadiens?

Answer: Yup. Sorry. Try again tomorrow.

I'll have a bit about the Habs head coach in a bit. But here's a little preview: something's gotta give.


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

Philadelphia 3, Montreal 1

Third Period:

- Was hoping that the Habs might find inspiration and come storming out of the gate for the third. What a fool was I.

- 8 minutes in, nay a single period shot on goal. 

- So P.K. had to wait 12 minutes in the third to get his first shift, apparently Therriens's punishment for that late 2nd period penalty. The Habs have two shots in the period. Insane or totally inept?

- Therrien's reaction to Subban's penalty is completely out of wack with the crime. He's refusing to use his best player to send a message by ensuring defeat? Unacceptable. This man has no business being behind any NHL bench.

-So let's get this straight. Down two goals to start the 3rd, Therrien benches his best player. The Habs put up 5 measly shots on goal, none of them remotely dangerous.

Michel Therrien is the worst.

Second Period:

- Just joined as the Flyers increased their lead to 3-0, Budaj surrendering a juicy rebound, and Bouillon turned the wrong way. So the Habs are right back to their old ways.

- Looking over the advanced stats, it looks like Bouillon and Murray have been particularly bad tonight, not that this is much of a surprise, but with the Habs recent injuries predicating the use of 7 dmen, you'd kind of expect the team to play tighter. Instead, the Habs are back to their old ways, burdened by their coach's lack of creativity.

- Another Bouillon/Murray shift. Have they been this slow and disorganized all night? If so, what coach in his right mind would continue to utilize this unit?

- Prust with possibly the only Habs win of the night - in a fight with Meszaros.

- Five minutes left in the second period, down 3-0, and the Habs are playing the trap. Words ... I'm at a loss.

- See? Plekanec is great on the 2-on-1 ... as long as he isn't passing. Shorthanded mark gives Habs life. 3-1.

- Habs looked terrible in that period, but somehow, they have a chance. A very, very slight chance. 

First Period:

- Parros will sit. Diaz is in. Emelin is out. 7 defenseman tonight.

- As mentioned ill be joining in the second period. Enjoy!!

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

So not a whole lot to talk about today. But here's what I got.

- George Parros might start tonight. Or he might not. Nobody knows.

- Marc Bergevin gave a little Q and A today, and while it was the standard "blah blah blah" response to inane questions, he did offer a few morsels. The Habs G.M. gave his first on the record indication that Daniel Briere won't be going anywhere soon when he said about the Habs beligered winger/center "I can't stop rumors. He had a rough start but he's improving. We'll see where we are at season's end." Bergevin also went on to defend George Parros, another significant off-season signing that hasn't panned out very well.  "I don't know what you were expecting, but we knew what we were getting and we're satisfied," said Bergevin.

That's all we got. Carey Price starts tonight, we think. Rapheal Diaz - who knows? Puck drops at 7:1 est. We'll be joining in sometime during the second period.

HAPPY TUESDAY. HAPPY OLYMPIC TEAM CANADA DAY.

Okay, I know this is simply repeating what's already now known, but Carey Price and P.K. Subban were announced as being on the Team Canada roster for the upcoming games. Grats guys! We all knew you'd be there - P.K. included. Sad news for TSN - with Subban on the roster, what else are they going to yammer on about endlessly?

 HABS NEWS AND TODAY IT AIN'T GOOD:

- Carey Price, who's the favorite to start for Team Canada, has a groin injury? Unconfirmed as to the severity. But groins and goaltenders are very touchy subjects. Okay, enough abuot that.

- Alex Galchenyuk, gone for six weeks with a broken hand. GAH.

So with Galchenyuk on the shelf for awhile, here's this morning's practice lines:

Line 1: Pacioretty/Desharnais/Gallagher (yup, Desharnais now #1 center - what a turnaround).
Line 2: Brière/Plekanec/Gionta
Line 3: Bournival/Eller/Bourque
Line 4: Moen/Parros

- P.M. UPDATE: Therrien announced that Peter Budaj will start tomorrow night in Philadelphia.

More in a bit.

Game Twenty-Seven: Leafs vs. Habs

Third Period:

- Leafs come out charging, Habs need to survive first 5 minutes ... or else ....

- Game settling down a bit, which is fine from the Habs' perspective.

- Bernier keeping Leafs in this. Just barely.

- Bernier nice glove off the tip. Really liking Bourque's effort - quality tries on net, a less sharp netminder wouldn't have kept them all out.

- Habs a little too careful here, they'd better increase the tempo and bring this one home already.

- Definately one of Bourque's better games in awhile. Just needs to start producing points.

- Price forced to make a great save after Desharnais was mugged behind the Leafs' net. Refs have whistles firmly put away.

- 71 faceoffs and counting tonight, which is kinda crazy high.

- Plekanec can only shrug at that great save by Bernier - Leafs just won't quite go away, but time is running out.

-  Bourque can't be falted for lack of trying. Something's gotta give.

- Leafs really haven't been much of a threat since the 10 minute mark, but now they get a PP off a Van Riemsdyk dive. So weak.

- Phaneuf loses his cool, drives stake through the heart of Toronto's hopes. 

- Habs coasted to victory in the 3rd, really was no contest tonight, as Habs climb higher up the standings. The Leafs, judging by tonight's game, are heading for a hard fall.

Second Period:

- Leafs come out strong, really should have scored sans a lucky post bounce in Montreal's favor.

- Seems like Gallaher thrives these marquee Saturday night games against the Leafs. He knows a good portion of the nation is watching.

-  Parros vs. Orr. Let's just get it over with already.

- And they get it over with. Suitably, a draw. Now let's play some hockey.

- Kessel won't get them much easier than that. Leafs are snakebit.

- Pacioretty tackled on a breakaway. How that wasn't called ...

- Plekanec having quite the night - for not scoring any points. At least, yet.

- Leafs are gonna need a redeflect to beat Price tonight. If he sees it, it's not going in.

- Subban vs. Phaneuf ... Leafs will take that trade in the penalty box.

- Leafs pressing here, sensing that a goal surely must be close. But they'll have to be closer than 40 feet if they want to beat Price. So far most of their shots have been from long distance.

- Desharnais and Gallagher making an effective forechecking duo. Like their chemistry.

- Really there should be no reason why Parros should get another shift tonight.

- Plekanec, who's been massive this period, puts the Habs up 3-0. Briere doing some fine work battling for the puck along the boards. Gonna be hard for Toronto to recover from this far down.

- Briere looking great, Desharnais involved, now if Bourque could dial up his game,we'd really be cookin'.

- Pacioretty!! Bernier with the assist, and Max with his 9th shot of the night, now has three points. And counting.

- Habs letting it get to their heads - take defensive  siesta and Van Riemsdyk with a beauty flip shot that somehow slips through Price. Leafs with a sliver of hope now.

- Woah. Guys. Raymond unprotected, and Price with a bit of a juicy rebound. We've got ourselves a game. 4-2.

- Disappointig end to the period - the Habs really have this game owned, but let the Leafs slip back in. Now they'll have to actually work for it to finish things off in the 3rd. Do'h.

First Period:

- So Therrien goes with Parros, le sigh.

- Habs off to a blistering start, out skating and vastly outshooting the Leafs. But that's standard operation for Toronto isn't it?

- Pacioretty sprung on the break, bangs in his own rebound, and Habs take early lead.

- Habs forecheck creating lots of chance in Toronto's zone.

- Good no-goal call, Van Riemsdyk clearly interfering with Price.

- Pacioretty with six shots (!!!) so far and counting. The Leafs - six shots as well.

- Leafs Franson in the dressing room, apparently injured. That won't help Toronto much.

- Wouldn't be surprised if patches scores 2, 3 or 4 tonight. 

- Habs massively outhustling Leafs right now. Whether they can keep this up for 60 minutes is the big question.

- Subban scores his first in a month, this time not a slapper. Leafs opened the lane for P.K., and Habs take 2-0 lead. Patches the assist as he builds towards a big night on the scoresheet.

- Leafs reeling here, backing into their zone, and Habs are pelting Bernier as a result. Toronto wanting the clock down to zero so they can regroup in the room.

- As noted In our pregame preview the Leafs have been defying gravity this season, Habs returning Toronto further back to a proper orbit. No contest so far.

JUST SAY NO MICHEL. Orr won't get 6 minutes of ice tonight.

Gameday Game Preview:

Ah, Saturday night. The Leafs against the Habs. The one classic showdown that rarely disappoints. It's the CLASH OF THE TITANS.

Well, except that it isn't. It's a clash between a pretty decent playoff projected team (Habs) against, and this is not hyperbole, an AWFUL non-playoff team - the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Woah, woah, woah ... you might respond. The Leafs? The 14-9-3 Toronto Maple Leafs??!  Are you on Rob Ford crack? LOOK AT THEIR RECORD YOU IDIOT. THEY'RE HEADED FOR THE PLAYOFFS. THEY'RE A VERY GOOD TEAM. GO BACK TO RUSSIA YOU NINNY.

But, but, but .... I'd protest back, they're almost certainly not headed for the playoffs. Because, this:

- Corsi Differential (all situations): -16.6 (29th, only Buffalo is worse).
- Fenwick Differential (all situations): -12.6 (29th, only Buffalo is worse).
- Shot Differential: -12.6 (29th, only Buffalo is worse).

By the way, the second-to-last-ranking isn't even close to the teams ahead. They're buried in 29th place in these key categories, saved only by the fact that the Sabres might possibly be the worst team the League has seen in its modern history (and yet, somehow, the Leafs couldn't even beat them last night).

There's no logical way the Leafs should be even close to 14 wins when you look at their possession and shooting stats. No. Freaking. Way.

But ... they are. So what the heck is going on? Well, in this writer's opinion four elements have allowed the Leafs to stay somewhat competitive against their opposition. They are (in no real particular order):

1) Goaltending. For the most part, it's been very good. Jonathan Bernier and backup James Reimer have posted very similar numbers, both currently with a .931 SV%, with Bernier a slightly better GAA (2.33 vs. 2.58). Their collective performances have allowed the Leafs the opportunity to win close games against (as we shall see later) mainly less-than-average NHL teams.

2) Specialty Units. The Leafs have a pretty good powerplay, 24.4%, which has been producing goals at maddeningly apt times. Their production, in particular the timing of their production leads us into the next point ...

3) Luck. The Leafs have been incredibly lucky. Their shooting, while awful, is somehow finding the back of the net way more than it should be. Their PDO is 103.9, 3rd in the League. Only Anaheim and Colorado have been more fortunate in getting fortunate bounces. The luck love-in has also played a role in our next big category ...

4) Scheduling: Toronto's schedule has been uncannily *easy* - not only in that they've played against teams that have been struggling to get to the .500 mark, but they have played against teams that were struggling at the time of their games.

To give you some perspective on just how favorable the early season scheduling was, I've put together their win-loss record vs. "competitive" and "non-competitive" opponents. The metric for "competitive" being games against teams who at the time, had more wins than losses:

- Competitive: 2-7-1
- Non-Competitive: 12-2-2

So there you have it. Of the 26 teams they've faced this year, 10 have been against clubs with more wins that losses at the time the games were played, and the Leafs have just 2 wins to show for it. Meanwhile the Leafs have feasted (credit due - you're supposed to win these games) against teams playing under .500.

Luck, however, has this funny way of running out. The Leafs' fortunes, I'm afraid, cannot defy gravity forever - and the schedule, which was very kind through October and November, isn't looking so easy in December. In addition to facing the Habs tonight, the Leafs can look forward to clubs, mainly from the Western Conference, that are either at, or significant above the .500 threshold. The Sharks, Stars, Kings, Blackhawks, Blues, Coyotes from the West, the Bruins, Pens, and Red Wings from the East.

I foresee a very, very difficult month of December for the Leafs, and a resulting tumble down the Eastern Conference standings.

SO TONIGHT. The Leafs take on the Habs, who even with the shootout loss last night, are still playing some pretty decent hockey, and have been since their roster returned to full health. Thomas Plekance, who must NEVER AGAIN participate in a shootout, has been racking up the points. Andrei Markov continues to hold a hot hand, and Habs goaltending, even though Peter Budaj was a bit "meh" last night against the Caps, has been stellar.

The big question tonight is whether Michel Therrien can resist temptation, and NOT insert George Parros into the lineup. In the games which Parros has played, the Habs' record is 0-4-1.  Without him in the lineup, 14-5-2.

Don't do it Michel. Just don't do it.

Puck drops at 7:15 EST.