Friday, April 23, 2010

Habs vs. Caps Game Five: The Final Countdown

Notes on the third:

-If this season goes to OT, I'm going to be sick.

-Habs look like they're playing scared. Playing not to lose is going to kill them if they keep it up.

-I don't want to look, but I'll regret it if this ends up being the last period of the season and there's no more Habs hockey until October.

-Knuble on Gill: TIIMMMMM-BERRRRR!

-Really chintzy call on Pouliot, but it won't make Jacques the Knife cut him any slack.

-I love Hal Gill's ten-foot stick. I'm going to name it "The Saviour."

-Close-up of those shot-blocking guards on Gill's skates. Looks like they used boat covers.

-Oh, the heroes. Gill, Gorges, Gionta, Cammalleri, Moen, Metro, O'Byrne, Markov and JARO!

-What a game! I want Game Seven!


Notes on the second:

-Too much information: Belanger removing his own tooth on the bench. And TSN showing us a closeup.

-I don't like this whole broken-camera issue. It feels WAY too much like the bogus goal review in Game Two when the Habs were up a couple of goals.

-Nice kill. Habs have to remember they're playing for their season here.

-Ovechkin was Hamrlik's man on the Caps goal. Sigh.

-Sometimes the luck just isn't with you. No matter how hard you work or how much talent you have, without the luck you're screwed.

-Plekanec skated like Gaetan Boucher to negate that two-on-one on the PK.

-Jaro must have had really good chocolate milk today.

-I hate in-game coach interviews. If he's talking to McGuire, he's not thinking about who's supposed to be on the ice.

-O'Byrne was great on Ovechkin late. That's the kind of D this team needs.

-Way to go Habs, on not giving up the late heart-breaker. Please, if there are really hockey gods, let them hold on for twenty more minutes. I'm not ready for it to end.



Notes on the first:

-I wonder if the choice of Halak tonight means anything about which goalie will still be a Hab in October?

-You have to love Gionta. Elimination game and he makes a beeline for the net on the first shift.

-Cammalleri's worth his money too. And good on Pleky going to the net. And good on Markov for making the brilliant pass. Why, oh why can't they do this all the time?!

-Moen as forechecker on the Gomez line is a good idea in theory, but it's like asking Matisse to sketch a piece and then getting a six-year-old to fill in the colour.

-Then again, sometimes a six-year-old is a really good colourer.

-Nice play by Bergeron on a two-on-one. It's an Elimination Game miracle.

-Incredible PK. They looked like hornets buzzing the Caps' zone.

-McGuire is going to have an "accident" if Moen plays any better.

-Random thought: Too bad Cournoyer doesn't play anymore. We could have some fun headlines about Roadrunner versus the Coyotes sometimes.

-It's not a good thing when you're hoping less for a powerplay goal than you are that they won't allow a shorty.

-Ah! The delay-of-game penalty! The worst penalty in hockey. Great job by Gomez to hold the puck in the Caps' end for ten seconds against Ovechkin.

-Great, great period. Jaro looked hot. Let's hope it's not the only great period of the game this time.

9 comments:

DKerr said...

Is it me or does MAB have a real hard time holding the puck in the zone while manning the point on the PP? One hop over the stick happens, but he doesn't seem to block clearing attempts up the boards very well.

Anonymous said...

I hate all interviews in or out of game. It's just job creation. Totally not needed and in fact it's irritating. I think it all started in the US where they need a blond somewhere in the broadcast.

I'm impressed, the Habs are doing well but I'm betting the Caps win 4-2. Hope I'm wrong.

DKerr said...

JT,

Agree - kudos to Gill, Gorges, Markov and OB. Did MAB get a shift in the 3rd? Nice forward pressure by Gomez line with 3 minutes to go, kept my hopes that we might actually survive the third.

DKerr said...

Oh, the penalty on Pouliot was chintzy. The refs should be ashamed to make a call like that in the 3rd. Pouliot was actually having a great shift - what a way to deflate the guy!

MC said...

O'Byrne stepped up huge for a young guy. The playoffs really separate the men from the boys and kudos to Jacques Martin for sitting the boys and letting the men play. A big part of this win was Hamrlik and MAB being glued to the bench for the third. Can Montreal win two more in a row? You're g'damn right they can!!

Raphaël P. said...

[gloomy narrator voice]

Each year,

(glimpses of habs players)

Thousands die in the province of Quebec

(images of bell center crowd gasping)

of hearth failure.

(sound bit of Benoît Brunet saying : "On s'en va en prolongation!")

After the canadiens give up a goal within the last 5 minutes of the third period

(sound bit of Benoît Brunet saying : "oh c'est limite!")

or play with a stick up their ass when leading by 1.

(sound bit of Brunet doing his "ayayayi")

Watch hockey responsibly.

(logo of the canadian hearth foundation appears with white background)

A message by the canadian hearth foundation.

[/end gloomy narrator voice]

Rookie said...

You get a million points for the title of this post.

NorCalVol said...

Now THAT was a hockey game.
Two of three on the road; zero for two at home.
Call me crazy, but do all those banners and retired numbers in Montreal put too much pressure on this club at home? Are they more relaxed on the road when they are away from that baggage?
Don't get me wrong - it is glorious baggage, but baggage nonetheless?

Unknown said...

Gill played over 25 min.
Markov and Gorges over 27.
MAB and Hamr combined for less than any of those three.

I knew while watching the game that Pyatt was playing his ass off, that Pouliot and Sergei barely played at all, and that Moore and Laps were playing way past their payscale. I loved O'Byrne's work and Moore and Laps and Moen.

Good thing Game 6 isn't until Monday. These guys will need to rest. And Spacek might be able to return. MAB is not doing anything for the PP and otherwise is barely worth their salt right now. Seems the Caps know just how to neutralize him on the PK.

Biggest note to take away from this game was that the Caps looked to be trying to prove to themselves they could play better D (as if to prepare for a more fearsome next opponent) and this did not pay dividends tonight. I expect them to play all-out crazy reckless offense-minded hockey next Monday. MAB should sit.