Detroit Musings and In-Game Scribbles

My English is as good as yours, I just write these in a stream-of-consciousness mode that I insist excuses me from small things like rules of grammar or general etiquette. Let’s call it conversational English, hopped up on beans. You know what kind of beans (no, Carl Mellesmoen, not the magic ones)

Montreal Canadiens (11-11) host Detroit Red Wings (10-6-4)
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Game Twenty-Three (score posted following scribbles)
Musings and In-Game Scribbles are a “live blogging” of the game that are compiled (typed, actually) during the game and edited and posted shortly after the game.

Joel Bouchard says that Nicklas Lidstrom is the greatest positional defenceman in the history of the game.

We see Tomas Plekanec’ stats; 21 points in 22 games.  He leads the Canadiens.

Le Mise 0 Jeu capsule is hosted by Michel Bergeron again and he picks Ottawa, Atlanta and Montreal to win their games tonight.  It’s Mise 0 Jeu.  With a zero.

Detroit players circle and await the drop of the puck.  And then we hear le fameux Acceuillons Nos Canadiens!  They’re wearing their Carbon Copy Blue uniforms with the old-school brown gloves.  They look sharp.  Price’s biscuit, gloves and pads are red and contrast well with the deeper, halfway to royal, blue of the old school uniforms.

Prevost’s eyes seem to glisten with tears again but I’m going to say that the spotlights are the reason.  Camera moves down the Detroit bench and we see what a team of winners exude in demeanour.  Your 2009-10 Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings.  Gods willing.

I’ve had it with waiting as the camera cruises down the Canadiens’ bench.  The blue and white are a very Quebec(ois) flag combination and do well without the red.

Chipchura is inserted in the lineup tonight.  He is standing at the far end of the Canadiens bench area.

Carey Price and Jimmy Howard are the ‘tenders.  Howard is the third-string Detroit goalie.

First Period

These throwback uniforms only need a touch of red.

Plekanec line starts.

Neutral result off the faceoff with Kostitsyn chasing the puck along the right board before Detroit reclaims it only to lose it near the Montreal blue line.

Early shot from Spacek and Houde’s tone peaks.  Stopped.

Lines change after 50 seconds and we see Gomez, Cammalleri and Moen.  Same line as last game.

Detroit makes their first entry and a harmless shot is stopped by Price.

Detroit wins the faceoff.  Dropped to the point.  Mild shot is stopped and covered by Price.

Lapierre line is on and forechecking.  Lapierre comes up with it elegantly but Detroit takes over along the boards.

Some back and forth with no shots.  Detroit players aren’t able to get open yet.  Canadiens are containing well.

Forwards are coming back deep.

Detroit gets a longer presence.  Around 15 seconds.  Cycling.

Canadiens move out.  Hamrlik crosses the centre line and passes to Metropolit crossing the blue line.  Shot.  Harmless.

Datsyuk suddenly crosses in front of Price.  Mara saves a sure scoring chance on the doorstep.  Price had made it across.

Cammalleri slows the puck as the players around him accelerate.  Over the line he drops it to Bergeron whose shot results in a block and turnover.  Then a whistle.

Brunet says that Ryan White works well in short-handed situations.  Houde adds that White is known as a scorer so he ought to score one soon.

Long shot from Chipchura at the left point rebounds dangerously.  No shot results.

Metropolit line gets a sequence.  Hash.  Blue-line.  Shot.  Pass to slot.  Missed.

Detroit takes it the other way but can’t squeeze through the defensive and the puck skitters to a lonely crease halt.  Price covers it.

Houde says that the Canadiens start is like last night’s (against Washington) and augurs well.

Cammalleri, Metropolit and Moen.  Gomez is missing and Chipchura, the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs’ captain, is his replacement.

Houde says it’s quite strange to see the Canadiens in blue.  He says it looks good and reminds us that it’s the jersey from 1909-10.

Stewart shoots from a distance.  Boofs off Price’s pad.  Puck goes the other way and Kostitsyn is chasing it down into the corner to Howard’s left.  Nothing develops.

Detroit goes the other way and they get a set-up that nearly beats Price.

Now they control but Price shows some new moves and positioning.  Shallow, very shallow butterfly, both pads flat and extended plus; glove wide.

Puck moves out.  Pass in front of Howard.  Quick pass.

Canadiens nearly score.

Then they take a penalty.  Then Laraque (accidentally?) takes out a Red Wing seconds later.  That will also be called.  Replay  It was on purpose.  Dirty play.  Brunet says it should be a five-minute and Houde adds that Laraque should be expelled from the game.

I’ve never seen Laraque make an ugly gesture like that.  Second replay shows another angle that confirms it was deliberate.  He took down Kronwall inside the Montreal blue line by extending his skate and knee to trip the Wing.

Disappointing.

Six-minute penalty.

Detroit controls off the faceoff and moves it around the perimeter.  Then a pass from Datsyuk to Holmstrom at the side of the net.  Holmstrom turns and tries to jam it in.  Price has it.  Some anger following the whistle.  Holmstrom is nodding, jawing and promising pirate favours to the Canadiens from his spot on the bench, now.  I can’t disagree with his sentiment following Laraque’s gesture.

Power-play continues.

Shot.  Moen breaks his stick.  Stewart shoots again from the blue line.  Gorges gets the rebound and lofts it down.  Just over four minutes left in the penalty.  What a waste of a good first period start.

Puck moves around.  Shot from Price’s right (ok, ok).  Nice toe save.  Montreal clears.

Detroit is in again.  This time White and Plekanec get the puck out.

Three minutes left in the penalty.  Pyatt stops the next Detroit entry cleanly.

Drew Miller carries it in and it is out just as quickly.

Red Wings can’t get set up now.  Two and a half minutes left.

Lapierre and Pyatt are the next pairing for Montreal.

Canadiens fans start a cheer but a shot bounces towards and eludes Price.  Odd goal.  Just under his left arm and he turns like a catcher reaching for dropped ice cream as the puck bounds over the line and twirls in the Montreal net.

Detroit 1, Montreal 0.

Crowd was silenced, eh.

Just over seven minutes.  Canadiens are still short-handed.  Detroit sets up.  And the Canadiens’ Paul Mara is called for cross-checking.  Oy.  (yoy-yoy)

I see Laraque say the word accident in conversation with Mara in the box as they sit together.

Five-on-three.

Todd Bertuzzi to Brad Stuart.  Back and forth between the two.  Finally a shot from Stewart hits Price low and in the pads as the goalie butterflies.  Faceoff.

Just over a minute in the first penalty.

Six minutes in the first period.

Chance in the slot as a Red Wing is upended.  Puck goes back to the point.  Shot.  Stopped and held.

Price is focused and sharp.  Faceoff is to his right.   Zetterberg wins it against Plekanec.

Two shots.  One from the side and one from the middle blue.  Plekanec clears after the second hits a Hab.

Six seconds in the five-on-three.

Detroit’s Brian Rafalski fires it through and in from the blue line just as the first penalty ends.   It went over Price’s pad on the short side.

Detroit 2, Montreal 0.

Detroit: organized and confident.  Laraque: sitting with a contrite expression on the Canadiens’ bench.

We are back to five-on-five.  Cammalleri gets a shot going the opposite way from the mid-slot.  Misses the net high.  Travis Moen is called at the same time.  Montreal will go to the penalty-kill again.

When’s the last time Christopher Higgins and Saku Koivu combined for a short-handed goal?  I can’t remember either.  It’s Thomas’ time now.

Pair of commercials precedes the next Detroit power-play.

Replay shows the call is legit.  Refs, this season, are doing the best work I’ve seen them do.  Ever.  Errors are just odd.

Now O’Byrne takes one.  Slashing.  Dave Jackson lets the crowd no using the refs’ mike.  Legit call.  Did I even need to look?  And Canadiens are down two men.  Again.  Gotta play with discipline, boys (Roenick tone).

Tomas takes the puck from Bertuzzi (yes, that Bertuzzi).  Moves it out.

Pyatt is on next as the lead forward on the triangle.  He must be very quick.  I’m impressed and will be watching him more.

Detroit controls all the while.  It’s almost like a practice drill.  Great passing.  But they don’t see the shot they want.  And Moen returns and the Canadiens have 28 seconds til the return of O’Byrne.  Puck sails over the glass.

I love these blue uniforms with the Doctor Zhivago-coloured gloves.

Plekanec is doing some very good work on this kill.  O’Byrne is back.  Hamrlik tries to shoot it down on net but misses and it’s an icing.  Or he didn’t know the penalty had ended.  Houde and Brunet say that it’s a communication breakdown.

Detroit wins the faceoff.  It goes back to Stewart.  He shoots.  Price stops it.

We see that Detroit ranks first in shots on goal four seasons running.  That includes this season.  About 32 shots per game in that period.

Montreal can forecheck and enjoy some five-on-five now with a minute and a half left.  I get a sudden ice-flashback memory of Mike Ribeiro.  Who knows.  (ed: Maybe he scored right then)

Red Wings are called.  Abdelkader.  Holding the stick.  Crowd cheers.  Brunet is laughing.  Gorges should have gone, too.  Refs are showing mercy.  I just don’t believe in calling a game like that.  Call it as it is.

Regardless Montreal goes to the power-play.

Early control.  Shot.  Puck floops up and into the corner.  Canadiens continue their control.  Then Cammalleri loses it on the boards.  Canadiens have to regroup.  Just under thirty seconds and Lapierre enters with Cammalleri assisting him behind the net.  Kostitsyn joins them and hits a Detroiter.  Wings clear.  Period ends.

Still 51 seconds left in the advantage.

Detroit outshoots Montreal 16 to 3.  And Mystique fires 1582 unedited words.

First Intermission
Detroit 2, Montreal 0

Francois Gagnon discusses Brendan Shanahan.  He retired yesterday.  Canadiens didn’t want him, then?  Crete reminds us of Shanahan’s important role in the players’ union.  Money Players.  And I agree.  Shanahan’s work was significant and good for players.  Keep in mind, players make millions; owners make hundreds of millions and even billions.  Keep it in mind.

Montreal Football Alouettes host BC Lions tomorrow in the CFL West Final at Olympic Stadium (your “Baltimore CFL Colts” … your St. Louis Football Cardinals … ).  Marc Trestman was the offensive coordinator when the Oakland Raiders advanced to the Super Bowl with a 41-24 win over the Tennessee Titans in 2002-03.  Smart football mind, Trestman.  Bud Grant demeanour on game day.  But even more calm.

Highlights … and we see Ovechkin’s 16th goal as the Capitals hold a 1-0 lead over the Toronto Maple Leaves.  Yes, Leaves.  Just safeguarding the language here and there.  Flames beat LA 5-2.

Demers and Bouchard have orange pieces of paper in front of them.  What, the printer ran out?  Crete’s sheets are white.

Demers says that the Montreal penalties are all legit.  He adds that Montreal can’t afford them against a team like Detroit.

Bouchard says that Montreal can still be positive all considered.  They are only down two and they played well short-handed.

Question Dodge (French phrase) is who would you name the best defenceman of all time and viewers are given a phone number a choice of Bobby Orr, Raymond Bourque and Nicklas Lidstrom.  Where’s Harvey?

Second Period
Detroit 2, Montreal 0

Montreal resumes their power-play.  Cammalleri, Plekanec and company do ok but don’t generate any quality chances.  Back to five-on-five.

Carey Price looks like superhero-robot goalie in his stance.  The red pads have a rusty, future-world apocalypse hue to them (from a distance).

Line four.

Detroit sits back and waits for the White line to give them the puck.  Mistake.  White gets a dangerous shot and Latendresse controls like a Radek Bonk on the boards.

Line two.

Pacioretty lunges to stay onside and falls.  Succeeds.  Plekanec loses it on the boards.

Line one.

Cammalleri leads Moen.  In the slot.  Just a bit too far.  Can’t reach it.

Line three.

Lapierre is skating with his usual verve.  Pyatt’s alert stick stops a lofted puck and the Canadiens keep Detroit out throughout this four-line segment.

Detroit is playing a relaxed brand.  They get possession, finally and a mild rush ends with a glove strap by Price.  Just over five minutes elapsed in the second period.

Plekanec faces off against Zetterberg, the most capable forward in the league, perhaps.  If we look at all the criteria.  All the criteria.

Zetterberg is kicked out of the faceoff circle and Plekanec beats Dan Cleary.  Montreal takes it down.  Hamrlik.  Long shot.  Just wide.  Almost scored.

Detroit gets their first real possession but it lasts three seconds.  Plekanec is behind the Detroit net and he finds Kostitsyn in the slot who misses the puck.  Doesn’t get all of it.

Metropolit to Moen in front now as the Canadiens keep the puck and change lines all the while.  And another chance.  One pass, one slot, one shot.  One save.  Jimmy Syracuse Howard.  That’s where he’s born.  It was an ordinary save.  Sorry.  He’s wearing Vaughan pads.

Moen gets a shot soon after Montreal wins the next faceoff.

Metropolit backchecks and retrieves the puck to the right of Price.  He is always in on the action.  Metropolit.

Canadiens are crisp.  Short passes and good energy in both the forecheck and backcheck.  Plekanec line is getting extra shifts.  Kostitsyn bodies Rafalski behind the net.  Gets him out of position but Rafalski is still able to move the puck to a teammate.

Neutral zone activity sees several changes of possession with neither team getting onto opposition ice.

Ten and a half minutes left in the second.

More of the same as Lapierre’s line gets on and off with no shots either way.

Now Price skates up and clears it.  It stays in.  Bounces back.  Shot on Price.  Muffled.  And the Canadiens resume their decent positioning work.  Detroit is working a bit harder.  Zetterberg’s line.  Detroit’s Ville Leino carries it in.  Loses it soon after as the puck rounds the boards behind Price.

Leino carries it in from the same area and fires a shot this time.  High and to the right of Price.  Puck finds its way to the slot where Price smothers it for a commercial.

Drew Miller versus Kyle Chipchura to the left of Price.  Canadiens get possession.  Laraque is back on the ice for the first time since the penalty.  Just over eight minutes.  Latendresse damages someone down in the corner.  Great hit.

Icing soon afterward.  Laraque took an accidental stick to the face that went uncalled.  Crowd booed it.  Laraque is being looked at on the bench.  Some blood.  Cosmic justice?  Ugh.

Kostitsyn turns the puck over on a breakout pass from under his blue line.  Detroit gets a longer possession out of it.  And a shot.  Five seconds and a wide, long shot.

They re-enter.  This time they get half-shift possession.  Down in the corner, O’Byrne and Kostitsyn tangle with a Wing.  And the Canadiens work it out.

From the neutral zone, Cammalleri works it ahead with a pool-cue poke but the line can’t keep it.

Brunet says that the Steve Moore incident changed Bertuzzi’s career.  We get a shot of Todd Bertuzzi on the bench after a shift.  The Steve Moore incident changed Steve Moore’s career.  I’d say.

Energy line.

Just past the Detroit blue.  Lapierre beats a defender down the right side, minus the puck and then goes around, gets it and shoots from close in.  Howard has it all sealed.  Mutes the rebound.  Seals the event with a glove.

Spacek gets a shot from the distance following the faceoff.

Both teams are slow on this shift.  Icing.  White.  Bad play.  Lapierre line has been on too long.

Lapierre gets a draw on the draw.  Canadiens come up with it after two small puck showdowns along the oval.  And another icing.  And we hear the Bell Centre organ.  Danny Gallivan thought the Montreal Forum organist was too loud (according to Ralph Mellanby of the CBC).

Faceoff to the right of Price.  Looking like a Nordique in all that blue.

All that Bleu.

Lapierre wins the faceoff.  White clears it in from beyond the centre line.  Puck bounces high.  Both teams change lines.  We get a shot of an intense Mike Babcock.  The Detroit head coach once coached with Montreal’s McGill University Redmen.

Just under four minutes.  Crowd is and has been as quiet as a Vancouver rink.  Canadiens efforts aren’t getting the team into scoring range anymore.  Detroit seems very calm and energy-saving.

Fatigue.

And Houde suddenly adds that playing two games in two nights is catching up with the Habs.

Another faceoff.  Detroit wins this one to the right of Price.  Puck goes to the opposite point.  Price sees the shot and stops it.  Left pad.  Small rebound.  He stops that too.  Holds it.

He’s a different man than in September.  Than in April.  Than in October.  Better goalie.

Metropolit tries a backhand wraparound.  Nearly works.  Rebound doesn’t go anywhere dangerous for Detroit.

Crowd notices and wakes up a bit.  Not much.

Just under two minutes.  Ice is all scratched up.  Speed is slow.  Looks like a game from the mid-nineties, pace-wise.

Lidstrom shoots from the point.  Save.  Held.

Datsyuk versus Plekanec.  Canadiens win the puck.  At the other end a puck goes up and into Howard’s glove.  Harmless.

Plekanec loses to Datsyuk this time.  To the neutral zone it goes where Detroit is forced to regroup.  They work it down to the corner where Pyatt takes it just as simply.  Forty seconds left in the second.

Moen is wearing the “A”.  For alternate captain.

Thirty seconds and a faceoff in the neutral zone.  Hamrlik beats Zetterberg and blocks the Detroit forward with his back.  Moves it to his left.

Action moves to the middle and then back.  Detroit is called for an icing.  Four seconds.  Faceoff to the left of Howard.

Faceoff is nebulous.

Cammalleri was organizing his linemates to create something in that final segment.  Houde says Cammalleri “c’est un vrai”.  It’s a compliment.  Literally translated it’s “he’s a real”.  It’s like saying “he’s a winner or a blue-chip or a guy that’s always there”.  Those don’t capture it.

Shots are 23, 11 in favour of Detroit.

Second Intermission
Detroit 2, Montreal 0

Joel Bouchard borrows an Anglicism and football term and says, in English, “It’s a game of inches”.  He explains the term and then we see a replay that supports his contention.

A second replay is excellent work by Bouchard as he shows Holmstrom get past three Canadiens from blue line to blue to emerge alone in front of the Montreal net for a crease pass and a scoring chance.  And then he adds “… C’est un catch-22 comme on dit en Anglais”.  He adds that Pierre Houde has mentioned that how Holmstrom plays is how Guillaume Latendresse should play.  Bouchard says that this is how Holmstrom gets his scoring chances.

Next we see Bouchard on the ice with Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang and they demonstrate how a high slot pass receiver should be defenced.

First we see how not to do it.  Then we see how to do it correctly.  Bouchard is wearing the blue practice jersey and plays the role of pass receiver while Letang is in white and is the defender.  Bouchard underlines that the object isn’t to hurt the puck-carrier, get the big hit, that it’s to influence away from the better shooting lanes.  Easier to score from the middle than from the side.

Just as in chess, the centre of the board gives more attack lanes than setting up from the sides.  Power down the middle.  Attention.  Works the same in football.

Highlights.  Leafs have tied it up.  Sidney Harper, I mean Crosby, has an assist tonight and we see it and his celebration.  Just a resemblance I can’t shake.

And former Three Amigo, Mike Ribeiro has a goal for Dallas who lead 3-0.  He was known in his Montreal days (by some) as Mickey Ribs.

Third Period
Detroit 2, Montreal 0

Faceoff.  Canadiens score.  Quick, quick, quickly.

Cammalleri.  Just went over the blue and shot a wrister.  Hard and accurate.  To Howard’s left.

It’s his tenth goal and he scores it with nine seconds elapsed.

Detroit 2, Montreal 1

Detroit is awake.  More awake than in the second..  Holmstrom and Datsyuk are on.  Crowd is not as loud as usual following a goal. . They have their doubts as we all should.

Puck is gloved by Price, scooped up to end some puck scrumming in the slot.

Plekanec wins the faceoff.

Canadiens organize a small sortie but we are back in the Montreal zone right away.  Now Kostitsyn huffs out and passes to Cammalleri inside the Detroit blue line.  Cammalleri one-times it wide and to Howard’s right.

High shot at Price’s collarbone.  He shrugs to capture it and I notice he doesn’t have a neck-shield like Halak does.  Ugh.

Canadiens are chasing the puck well and coming up with it as a result.  This time Pacioretty gets a slot-shot from his backhand.  Goes to high as he cuts the opposite way.

Brunet says Pacioretty is skating well and playing confidently tonight.

Datsyuk is down the boards, jersey-wiping and shoots from this sharp angle.  Not a lot of velocity on the wrister and Price holds onto it.  Datsyuk stays on for the next faceoff.  Just three and a half minutes elapsed.

Defenceman Paul Mara drops in.  To the hash.  Passes for Plekanec in the slot.  Bit far.  Tomas can’t collect enough of the puck for an accurate shot.  Skitters away.

Next faceoff sees Chipchura on with Latendresse and Laraque.  Bit of a switch-up from Coach Jacques.

Canadiens are coming back deep to help the defencemen again.  It’s served them well so far.

Makes it tough to break out but

Metropolit bangs a backhander over the net.  Good set-up from Moen.  To the slot.  Best chance of the period since Cammalleri’s goal.  Either team.  Action stays in Detroit’s zone and Hamrlik fires a distance shot that Howard has to glove.

Next segment.  Cammalleri and Plekanec go offside.

Plekanec loses the ensuing faceoff against Zetterberg.  Cammalleri interrupts the Detroit entry.  Good backchecking eliminates the next.

Kostitsyn is on with Cammalleri and Plekanec and likely will be for the rest of the period.  It’s the line that gives Montreal the best chance to score the tying goal.

But I imagine if the team gets a tying goal it will come from Latendresse or Moen.

Thirteen minutes left in the third period.

One reason Detroit plays such smart hockey is that they are the oldest team in the league.  Lidstrom is 39.  Wings player age average is 30.2 years.

Play stops and O’Byrne and Maltby get into it briefly.  Sticks up, not much more.  Lasts about four, five seconds.

Soon after the next faceoff, a goal.  Cammalleri to Kostitsyn in the corner to the slot.  Cammalleri scores.

Detroit 2, Montreal 2.

Crowd sounds warmer than the last goal.  But it’s not the arena it was last season.  Everyone knows who the better team is tonight.  (Detroit, in case it isn’t clear).

Nonetheless with ten and a half minutes left in the period, Montreal is back in it.

Go Habs go cheer begins.  Lasts about six seconds.  Detroit’s incursion ended it.  But they weren’t able to generate anything.

Blue team is controlling.  Hamrlik pinches.  Pass goes back to Spacek who shoots it hard.

Detroit can’t get it back for long.  Montreal gets it back.  But Lapierre takes a penalty.  Oof.

Bobby Orr wins Le Question Dodge.  Orr was 54%, Bourque was 35% and Lidstrom was 11%.

Penalty-kill begins with Plekanec and Moen as the first pairing.

Detroit wins the faceoff and they are all business again.  (Remember the first period?)

Montreal stays trapped in their zone for the first 35 seconds.  Moen ends that.  Six seconds later, Plekanec advances the puck and gets a shot from inside the blue line.  Slapper deflects off a Detroit stick into the air.

Leino finds himself alone in front of Price but can’t glue the puck.  Slips off.

Detroit causes more problems.  Make an octopus of Price.  White ices it.  Next pairing kills the remainder.  Six-fifty left.

Go Habs Go starts up again.  Ten seconds this time.

Metropolit comes up with it suddenly inside the Detroit blue line but his quick pass to Kostitsyn who was driving down the middle is blocked.

Shots are 28, 16 in favour of Detroit.

On the edges for a bit but Zetterberg, who else, takes it down the middle for a jaunt.  Gorges eliminates him on the back boards.  Montreal gets some puck.  Keep it.

Cammalleri turns and shoots.  Wide.

Behind the net.  Rolls up.  Hamrlik pinches.  Puck exits.  Crowd cheers the last line’s efforts.

Detroit’s Patrick Eaves takes it up over the blue line down the side and fires at Price.  Holds it.  Commercial.

Detroit wins the faceoff.  Point shot.  Nothing.  Montreal takes it down.  Kostitsyn has it behind the net.  Lost it after some jogging dangerously with the puck.  Metropolit from behind the net.  To the point.  Shot.  Woodsy.
No gaps.

The line continues to work.  Another shot from the point after a re-entry.  Blocked.

Cleary now enters.  Three Habs are on Zetterberg who now has the puck.  White jams Zetterberg against the boards behind Price.  Gorges is there with the second Wing.

Detroit continues to work.  Leino.  Strong and indefatigable player.  So says Houde.  He works behind the Montreal net.  No chances result.
Detroit ices it a little later.

Plekanec versus Helm.  Detroit wins it.  Just under two minutes.

Detroit shot.  Price stops it.  One-hand whacks it to the other side.

Montreal line-change.  Bertuzzi centres backhanded to Holmstrom.  Missed.  Another chance for Holmstrom in the slot.  Price gloves it and Holmstrom is shoved into the crossbar.  No further action.

Fifty-one seconds.  Montreal clears it just to Howard.  Plekanec line is back on with thirty seconds.

Montreal keeps it.  Kostitsyn dumps it in.  Cammalleri goes and gets it.

Return pass is missed.  Lines change.  Seconds melt.  Period ends.

Brunet reminds we viewers that the team is missing Gomez, Gionta and Markov and that getting this point (for a regulation tie is worth one point, regardless of loss in overtime or shootout) is commendable for the Canadiens.

Overtime
Detroit 2, Montreal 2

First pairing is Plekanec and Cammalleri.  Plekanec wins the faceoff.  Cammalleri starts from behind his net.  Circling and passing and drop-passing.

Montreal still circling, always in control.  Keep-away.  Still in control with forty seconds elapsed.  Finally the Red Wings take it over.  Bertuzzi is with Zetterberg.  Odd.  Bertuzzi and Naslund-reminiscent.

Detroit controls on the four-on-four.  Left.  Up.  Across.  Stuart.  Very dangerous screened shot.  Price doesn’t see it at all.  But his positioning, says Brunet allows him to make the save.

Helm.  Over the blue line.  Blocked by Bergeron.  Canadiens exit.  Cammalleri.  Crowd gives a Lafleur-expectation groan.  Cammalleri’s shot deflects high.

This one off the faceoff hits Plekanec.

Datsyuk.  Down the left.  Closer to the net this time.  Slows.  No.  Turns.  Aiee.  Passes.  Nobody.

Detroit re-enters.  Two minutes left.

Hamrlik turns.  Passes up to Kostitsyn.  Crowd loves it.  Kostitsyn shoots.  Crowd loves it more.  Screened shot is stopped.

Metropolit wins the ensuing faceoff.

Zetterberg gets in the clear.  Has to go around the net.  Then he passes.  Just too far.

Kostitsyn now misses the net.

Kostitsyn again.

Draper takes it from him and goes the other way.  Shot from the point after a pass.  Price grabs it like Fuhr.  The full extension.  We’ll take it.

(The C is for Quebec)

Faceoff.  Won by Draper.  Shot.  Spacek blocks it in the mid-slot.

One minute.  This is worse than a shootout, really.  At least with a shootout vous avez le droit de replique.

Twenty-six seconds.

Twelve.  Puck is deep in Detroit’s zone.  They exit.  Cammalleri is on the ice.  Detroit gets a rush.  Four seconds.  Shot goes high.

Shootout
Detroit 2, Montreal 2

They show some seasonal shootout stats but I don’t want to look at them.  Don’t break the luck.

Ok.  I look.  But not typing them is the way to go here.

Cammalleri is first.

Three shots by each team for a maximum of six and minimum of four and then one-and-ones.

Cammalleri.  Shoots high on the glove side and Howard stops it.  Great save.

Datsyuk.  Oh man.  This is as bad as facing Jagr.

He scores.  Left side, right, left.  In.  (Deke, yo)

Detroit 1, Montreal 0.

Plekanec is next.

Goes right.  Waaay right.  His old trick.  Right to left.  Tink.  Off the post.

Zetterberg.   Geez.  He also scores.  Too much talent.

Detroit 3
Montreal 2 (SO)

HDS Stars: Pavel Datsyuk, Mike Cammalleri, Ville Leino
RDS Stars: Pavel Datsyuk, Mike Cammalleri, Andrei Kostitsyn

(I always write my stars down first.  Then I add the RDS stars)

Related posts:

1. Montreal Canadiens vs Ottawa Senators
2. Montreal Canadiens vs New Jersey Devils
3. Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins
4. Montreal Canadiens versus Pittsburgh Penguins
5. Washington Musings and In-Game Scribbles
6. Ottawa Musings and In-Game Scribbles