Dallas Musings, In-Game Scribbles
March 8, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles
Montreal 3 at Dallas 1
First Period
Very interested to see AK46 with Koivu and Tanguay. Higgins’ demotion should also be of interest and Pacioretty should set up Kovalev a couple of times.
Ribeiro is as creative and patient as ever. Uses his body as a screen while stick-handling very effectively. He misses the open net on Dallas’ first power-play. Pacioretty is in the box.
Net goes off its moorings a second time. And Hamrlik goes to the box. Three-on-five. For thirteen seconds.
It’s enough. 1-0 Dallas.
A four-on-five remains. For most of two minutes.
Price is named the starter right before the game. Dandenault sits for D’Agostini. Brisebois also sits.
Price looks very alert and is active outside the crease as well. Still a minute left in the four-on-five. Price is very slow in getting up after a puck skirmish. No dangerous shots, tho’.
Ribeiro is exceedingly dangerous. Dallas continues immense pressure into the five-o-five. Finally a Dallas turnover frees Montreal to exit their zone.
It’s a painful extension from the penalty-kill as Dallas continues to control the puck and Montreal is forced to ice. Even the Lapierre line (with Higgins added) can’t capture the disc.
And another Montreal penalty. Accidental high stick. And a four-minute besides.
Koivu is first on the PK. He loses the faceoff and gives Ribeiro a hit on the back.
Kovalev and Plekanec do some nice work in killing a thirty-second segment. No chances yet for Dallas and just over two minutes left in the four-on-five.
Dallas is missing Zubov and Richards and it hurts their power-play. They are currently at around 16%.
Suicide turnover by Hamrlik doesn’t hurt Montreal. Still 43 seconds left.
Suddenly Tanguay gets the puck deep in Dallas territory. But nothing results.
Seventeen seconds.
Montreal is keeping Dallas in their half. And as the Montreal penalty ends, Dallas takes an obstruction call.
Again, Montreal’s penalty-kill shows its growing efficiency.
Power-play, now… Montreal. Begin blocks Markov’s shot early in the sequence. Then some good back-and-forth from Tanguay and Koivu on the power-play. Signs of things to come.
Having Tanguay is the closest to having Selanne on his line in international play for Koivu. In terms of style. Kovalev-Koivu is a different vintage.
Begin is wearing #44. It’s really a shame we couldn’t find him more ice time. But it’s also a sign of depth.
Komisarek is fighting and on the edge of a whistle, Kovalev is swooping and nearly hitting Plekanec for a great chance and the team is breathing their salty air again.
Some charged hitting results in upping the tempo. Koivu takes a good one from Ott who then refuses Kostopolous’ invitation to dance. Ott delivers another great hit. Stewart finally attacks Ott. In true Thunder Bay fashion. It’s perhaps deserved. Both of them go off the ice following some choice strikes by Stewart. Ott seems to turtle.
Whatever happened to the sucker punch? Kostopoulos should just have tapped that button while skating by Ott in the first place. This code and its rules are hogwash. Why should pricks get the gentleman’s treatment. Duels and kerchiefs.
Just smash Ott.
It’s all on the way out, anyway. And then skills can letter the marquis. But until then, I don’t want our guys mashed about.
The result is a four-minute power-play for Montreal.
Komisarek took one. And now another penalty. Against Montreal. Kovalev for roughing.
Oh (green) boy.
Ott draws it. And Brunet says they should just “let them play hockey”. Wow.
Now Koivu takes a penalty at the one-second mark. Big box boom.
Second Period
Lots to kill. But Stars don’t know how to move us out of position
Killed all. Five minutes of green and gold pain. Back to five-on-five.
Koivu line keeps making embarrassing spaces in the Dallas defence. Kostistyn puts one in from the slot with nobody around.
1-1
And Koivu makes Kostitisyn show an on-bench smile I’ve never seen yet. A big relieved smile and an outward exuding of grateful, amused joy.
Komisarek is trash-talking with Ribeiro after an icing.
Dallas’ energy level has become very casual. Too casual. If Bouillon was here, he would do something. He tends to make teams pay for being too laid back. End-to-end rush or some-such. Team really misses the aspects of his game.
Some of our younger players get tempted to match nap for nap when opponents relax. Who will make Dallas pay?
Koivu. Kovalev. Plekanec. Tanguay. Let’s see.
Plekanec starts agitating first. Nearly scores and works as hard as Junkyard Dog. Two good scoring chances both on either side of the net. No goal. Yet.
Dallas doesn’t respond.
Brunet misreads the play and blames Montreal for the casual tenor in the match.
Kovalev cameos on the Stewart line. He responds with some purposeful deep Dallas stick-handling from the side to the slot. He gets high-sticked and Montreal goes to the power-play.
Schneider’s time. (No blood, it’s a two)
Montreal’s faceoffs are declining. Koivu again.
The Montreal power-play runs with an aplomb not seen yet this season. Very calm movement en route to creating some coldly efficient deflection chances. The work draws a penalty on Koivu who is hauled down on a rebound.
Five on three.
Mickey Ribs intercepts a pass and sends it up ice to end the On Three portion. But again, Montreal is showing imagination and movement from launch points rather than staying glued.
One minute at five on four.
Another quality chance. A high back-hander from AK46. He took his time and it’s a sign of his growing confidence. He is like Ryder. A goal inspires him to heights.
More power time.
Master’s Goal from Kovalev. Used all of the time curved and curled and fired from the top of his wind-up.
Precision physics.
2-1 Montreal.
Turco’s demeanour is rather swagger. What does getting on the cover of an EA box to do a man? I wonder.
The Montreal goal is very bad timing for Dallas because there is still a four-minute chunk of time for them to survive. Montreal’s expected renewal of purpose will be difficult to endure.
And Montreal makes mice of Dallas. The fourth line. Stars are shrinking and cooling. Skittered and chasing. But no goals.
The respective sets of roles on tonight’s lines makes a lot of sense for at least three of the four lines.
Dallas has lost emotional control of this game. But Montreal is not generating enough scoring chances to capitalize on this.
Third Period
A shooter who is feeling confident shoots often. And doesn’t rush his shots. And is also more willing to use his wrister.
Gorges is all the way back from his scare against Denis Gauthier.
Tanguay and Kostitsyn descend on a two-on-one. Tanguay lifts a lovely one over to AK’s rifle and he misses the whole net. Oof. Should have been a goal.
All of a sudden a deeply unfortunate Dallas gaffe gives us a goal. Too relaxed. Turco. Behind his net. Yawning.
3-1, Montreal.
How slow will the Dallas elevator be this time? Or will they take the stairs?
Ribeiro line is on. Their best line tonight. Mostly because he can keep the puck for the same ridiculously long periods of time.
Montreal gets it out despite it all. Plekanec is playing smart, sharp hockey. His line will score again tonight (they don’t).
Another two-on-one for Tanguay and Kostitsyn. And then less than a minute a three-on-two for Koivu, Tanguay and Kostitsyn. No goals but good chances. A good line so far.
Critics of tinkering be damned.
Is Deja Vu simply a function of eating too much chocolate?
Brunet is complimenting Carbonneau’s decision to go with Price. He is basing everything on the score and none of it on actual in-game play. Why bother even talking, cactus?
Tanguay line works hard. All of them. Simultaneously. Work hard for one another. It’s good for Kostitisyn to be on with these two gentlemen.
What does Kovalev say to the young Russians, I wonder? What’s his tone? His message and style?
Dallas is suddenly interested. Oh. It’s Begin. He’s always interested.
Plekanec line has decided to go into crujse in our zone. Markov is the only Canadien running around trying to replace the groceries. We finally get it out.
Seven minutes. Don’t let them move.
Stewart misses a pass because he doesn’t have the skills and then he hits a Star in frustration. That doesn’t make up for it, bud.
The pace picks up some for both teams but Price is solid on Dallas infrequent forays.
Montreal is playing better and better hockey as the period closes out.
Metropolit and Kostitsyn on a two-on-one. Couldn’t finish. Bad pass. Kostitsyn basically fans. If this was a video game, Montreal would have had four more goals by now. Especially if it was EA. With 2K you have more toggles for realism.
Komisarek gets called on a border-line roughing. Ott drwas it again. And Turco sits his confident butt down on the Star bench. Four on six
Gorges is not afraid of anyone.
Ribeiro slows time down again. Stretches agony. I wonder what he thinks of Price’s abilities. One Montreal player he doesn’t know that well.
Kovalev takes a good penalty. Brunet happens to agree. My, my. With 4.7 seconds left, it was a good move. He keeps Modano from releasing a shot.
No shots after the faceoff.
Game over.
How does Halak feel? Price gets the win and should get the start next game, too.
Carbo is fist-in-atmosphere happy.
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