FeedCarey Price And The Grinders Come Up Big
November 29, 2008 in Bell Centre, Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Carey Price, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals Tags: Alex Kovalev, Andrei Kostitsyn, Andrei Markov, Bell Centre, Buffalo Sabres, Carey Price, Carolina Hurricanes, Chris Higgins, Habs, hockey, Josh Gorges, Maxim Lapierre, Montreal, Montreal Canadiens, NHL, NJ Devils, NY Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Saku Koivu, Sergei Kostitsyn, Steve Begin, Tampa Bay Lightning, Tomas Plekanec, Tomas Vanek, upcoming Habs schedule, Washington Capitals
Bell Centre
Montreal
November 29, 2008
Montreal vs. Buffalo
First period:
Good, spirited, fast-skating, lively first period. The Canadiens look good. And of course, they’re doing all the things they’re really good at – turning the puck over and the other team scores (Higgins this time), and not scoring themselves. They’re really good at both of these things.
Alex Kovalev, Saku Koivu, Tomas Plekanec, Higgins, the Kostitsyn’s etc. etc, – they’re really, really good at not scoring. Especially on the power play and even strength.
But I’ve got faith.
Second period:
Andrei Kostitsyn’s backhander finds the twine, so I take back anything bad I said about him.
Like I said in the first period, one of the things we’re really good at is giving the puck away, and this time it’s Josh Gorges, which leads to a Tomas Vanek goal. It’s kind of funny in a morbid sort of way. Every game it’s a different player.
Steve Begin scores on a beauty play with Maxim Lapierre. That’s what I like. Grinders producing when the big guns are silent.
Andrei Markov, on a snappy set-up by Saku Koivu, gives the Habs a 3-2 lead. I’m on the verge of taking back every bad thing I’ve ever said about everybody.
Third period:
I take back every bad thing I ever said. The boys played good tonight and won 3-2. Oh, of course there were the bad moments – Sergei Kostitsyn taking a foolish penalty (several, in fact), and the team had real trouble getting the puck out of their end late in the game, but they played well and they won.
I’m proud of them.
Game Notes:
Maxim Lapierre played a great game tonight, probably his best of the year. We saw several flashes of this last year, and finally the guy shows us again.
This Sabres game marks the beginning of ten home games out of eleven. The boys play seven straight, starting with the Buffalo game, and continue with Atlanta, the Rangers, Devils, Flames, Lightning, and Caps all visitng the Bell centre.
The team plays one road game, in Carolina, and then comes back home again to greet the Flyers, Sabres, and Hurricanes.
In other words, they’re going to drive their wives and kids crazy for awhile, with the naps and pre-game meals and all that. Not to mention the other stuff.
And hopefully, a long home stand means a long winning streak.
November 29th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
S. Kostitsyn took three stupid penalties. Not good.
Kovalev is getting worse. I wrote at the end of last season that the summer would have been the best time to trade him, as his value was high and he only had one year left on his contract.
I thought the Habs were going to lose it once they didn’t score on that 5 on 3.
They got lucky, but let’s hope it gives them some confidence.
November 30th, 2008 at 7:50 am
The Sabres are playing Montreal an awful lot, huh? I’ll take it over Boston…
November 30th, 2008 at 8:32 am
I like Buffalo way more than Boston. That’s for sure.
December 1st, 2008 at 12:53 pm
HI DENNIS
well well… u like BUFFALO over BOSTON…mmmmmmm i dont think so,we know we can (HABS) beat BUFFALO but its BOSTON we gotta beat…remember the long winning streak in regular season last year and before against the BRUINS, dont get me wrong i like a BUFFALO game but would get more satisfaction beating the BRUINS
GOOD DAY d.g.