Montreal Canadiens versus Buffalo Sabres

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 (21-19-3) host Buffalo Sabres (25-11-4)

Sunday, January 3, 2010
Game Forty-Four (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.

Happy New Year. The team is back from the road and I’m back from 2009. It was a nice visit but I’m glad to be in 2010 again.

It’s a rare Sunday afternoon game and Buffalo Sabres are in Bell Central with the world’s best goaltender; Ryan Miller.

The Molson Cup is on the carpet and is presented to Jaroslav Halak, the Canadiens’ December player of the month. Pierre Houde remarks that it is a great bonus to have two goalies of such high calibre this season.

Tonight’s goalies are presented; Carey Price and Mr. Miller.

Stephane Auger is one of the referees tonight.

First Period

Sabres win the faceoff and Rivet carries it up to a noticeable sprinkling of boos. Craig Rivet, of course, played with the Canadiens for over nine years before being traded a few years ago.

Both Kostitsyns are absent tonight. Georges Laraque is in the lineup and, on the blue line, Ryan O’Byrne is replaced in the lineup by Paul Mara.

Hamrlik is in the corner working against Paul Gaustad. Puck moves into the Buffalo zone.

Long shot escapes Miller and there is a big net to look at. Viewers only. No red jerseys are about. Gomez and Pouliot are on with Gionta.

Lapierre line follows. Gill and Gorges are the defence pairing.

Canadiens chase the puck into the Buffalo zone. Bergeron is a winger again and he has Lapierre and Laraque as linemates.

Plekanec line is on now. Canadiens are controlling the play and have the edge in the puck chase derby.

Cammalleri and Pacioretty are Plekanec’ linemates. Buffalo can’t get the puck out against these guys. Cammalleri intercepts one pass and Hamrlik pinches to prevent another.

Buffalo finally gets the puck out but Cammalleri is back on the Montreal blue line to retrieve it. Gionta is on now. He crosses the blue line and drops for it Gomez who fires a long shot at Miller.

The work continues and Buffalo’s Tim Kennedy is penalized for cross-checking. The replay shows a dirty hit by Kennedy and he has an unapologetic and mildly annoyed expression on his face as he sits in the box, Bobby Clarke tufts under his helmet.

Cammalleri finds Plekanec in the slot. Standing alone. A pause. A move. A backhand high. Miller stops it. Great glove save. More than a catcher extended.

Faceoff is a neutral result but the puck floats to Miller’s left and he comes out about five feet to clear it out.

Just over a minute in the penalty. Hecht clears it to the Montreal goalmouth where Price handles it. Up to Markov. Montreal is repelled at the Buffalo blue.

Now Montreal enters. Gionta, Gomez and Pacioretty are on the second wave. Hamrlik and Spacek are on the blue line.

Passing is perimeter-oriented but Gomez makes an unusual question mark entry into the circle to Miler’s right and receives a pass. The puck is whacked away immediately. Ten seconds later, Buffalo ends the penalty with a clear.

Metropolit comes in with some accompaniment but elects to shoot. Miller is quick on this eight-foot attempt. Very quick.

Pace is increasing. Montreal is the instigator. Did Buffalo play last night?

Just over twelve minutes left in the first period.

Derek Roy is forechecking for Buffalo and his work is Buffalo’s first presence on Montreal ice in over four minutes.

It lasts about six seconds and the Canadiens are running the show again. Bergeron is on with Lapierre again.

Gill pinches. Lapierre works behind the net against Rivet. Laraque loses the subsequent puck tangle and the Sabres clear it up. Gill retrieves it and the Canadiens are chalking the puck geometrics yet again.

Stoppage in play.

We return to be told that defenceman Andrej Sekera is absent from the Buffalo lineup.

Puck work behind the net. Vigorous stick digging by Metropolit. Two on two work. It happens again within three seconds and with the same four.

Buffalo escapes and a backhand shot by bulky Mike Grier from a medium-sharp angle is repelled by Price. Big rebound but nobody but Montreal players are around. Grier is the second-biggest player on the Sabres behind Paul Gaustad.

Buffalo ups the intensity.

Pacioretty tries to keep the puck in and falls doing so.

Gionta line is on again.

Hamrlik gives it away along the boards behind Price. Spacek helps out and then gets the puck to Hamrlik who has moved to the other side.

Gomez and Cammalleri raise Houde’s voice with a three-on-two entry that goes offside. Non-hockey pause takes place.

RDS informs us that Buffalo’s first period for-against shot ratio in their past five games is 20-62.

Gill moves it up along the left boards. D’Agostini continues the puck’s progress into the Buffalo corner but the work is lost as Buffalo is able to slap it out.

Another Montreal entry is negated. Next we see Cammalleri chasing the puck in behind Miller. And another quick exit. Line change by Buffalo.

Buffalo’s giveaways are so out of character that I wonder about all kinds of things. Buffalo is ranked second in the Eastern Conference and fourth in the league. For total points. Their giveaway-takeaway ratio is 435-229. That leaves them at -206, the third-worst rating in the NHL. Montreal is at -259 and Edmonton is worst at -282.

Gomez slides a pass over to Hamrlik as the Canadiens enter. Slapper is slightly tipped and goes harmlessly to the corner to Miller’s left.

Buffalo exit follows twice thereafter.

Four and a half minutes left.

Lapierre makes an effort to get to the net on his own. Nearly does. Stickhandling but lifted.

Buffalo’s Jochen Hecht gets a shot on Price. Moments later Connelly watches as Price slides onto his stomach to capture an errant puck. He holds it for a faceoff.

Pacioretty is on. Rivet leads Connelly a bit too far. Puck is fired in behind Price. Cammalleri and Plekanec have to curl back to make an exit. They do and then the pressure mounts. Miller is forced to make two solid stops as he faces a total of three shots including a long one from Hamrlik.

Miller holds it for a faceoff to his left. Seconds later he gloves a long Spacek shot and causes another faceoff.

Gionta nearly gets it to Pacioretty for a goal.

Roy and two dudes make Price fall and half-twirl like a swaddled baby. He crabs the puck and holds on in the cold crease.

Metropolit and Moen are on for the next faceoff. Gill backhands it out after the puck is dropped.

Gill next has to shovel it up for Mara. Canadiens’ D’Agostini dumps it in.

Kennedy takes another penalty. He complains again. I’d like to say that there are many Canadian players who don’t complain after a whistle but it just isn’t so. And the worst complainers tend to be from Ontario. And as with Cherry’s inflammatory visor remarks, my comments are supported by facts. Just count for a season and tell me what you find.

Montreal power-play has three major segments. Second segment is the most successful with Mike Cammalleri getting the best chance. But no goals and the period ends scoreless.

Shots on goal are in favour of Montreal 10-6.

First Intermission

Montreal 0, Buffalo 0

Francois talks about the most recent outdoor game; yesterday’s game featuring Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers. The footage is striking. I’ve never seen a pro game lit by sunshine. The outdoor game idea is a great one. Beautiful aesthetics and atmospheric action.

Gagnon suggests Prague and some other cities for the outdoor game.

Prior to today’s game we saw a montage comparing Crosby and Ovechkin building up their personal rivalry for the sake of the Olympics. Crosby is a finesse player who plays it very cleanly. Ovechkin is a rougher player, in the mould of the classic rough-housing Canadian fear-monger. I find the irony satisfying and useful. In cutting down Ovechkin, sports television’s plugger goons will be cutting down their own. In supporting so-called “edgy play” (code for dirty hockey), they will also be supporting Ovechkin.

I suddenly like Crosby’s existence even more. Imagine if Crosby was the Russian and Ovechkin was the Canadian. Boy would the plugger goons cut Ovie down for being “soft”.

We find out that Alex Kovalev has scored four goals in Ottawa’s game today against Philadelphia. I called it but for the wrong team. I thought Kovalev would be the first Hab since Brian Savage to score four goals in a game for Montreal. Alas, alas.

Second Period

Buffalo 0, Montreal 0

Pacioretty and Cammalleri chase the puck into the area behind Miller to start the period with a twenty-second man-advantage (left over from the first). It ends with no shots recorded and no dangerous passes for the Buffalo defensive.

Montreal’s control continues. Gomez and Gionta and working with Pouliot.

Gionta clears it in. Miller retrieves. Passes it up. Turnover. Montreal resumes control. Metropolit and Moen are working the boards outside Buffalo’s zone.

A few turnovers follow and the Canadiens emerge with a shot from the right side; D’Agostini.

Pace is nearly languid.

Plekanec’ is the hub player. Passes spoke silver from his stick. Three passes and Montreal’s longest possession to open this period results in a long shot from Spacek which Miller has to freeze.

Following the faceoff, Pouliot gets a chance in front of Miller. Just misses. We see a replay and Pouliot was chasing and essentially created his own chance through persistence. If he can play like that for fourteen years, we will all be pleased. The shot was a bit low-velocity and rushed.

Cammalleri backhands it up along the Montreal boards. Pacioretty gets it. Leads a rush. Backhand pass to the slot. Pings back. Another pass from Pacioretty, still gliding. Just misses. Action swirls away from the Buffalo cage.

Pouliot line is back and an offside occurs soon afterward.

Buffalo bubbles out. Two-on-one with Pouliot chasing hard to be the second defender. Pass to Connolly. Shot. In. Out. In again. Two goals.

Buffalo 1, Montreal 0

Bergeron is flying. Gets the puck in the corner. Loses it. Chases as a good boy popsicle do. Is bumped. Keeps chasing but at a lower velocity.

Plekanec line is on.

Buffalo is grinding to life.

Cammalleri’s backhand exit pass misses all Montreal players. Canadiens have to regroup.

They re-enter. Metropolit, Cammalleri and Pacioretty are on the ice (we are in the middle of a line change).

Accidental icing off a missed pass from Montreal seconds later.

Moen and D’Agostini join Metropolit for the faceoff.

Just over ten minutes.

Gaustad’s long pass is into a teammates skates and the puck skitters beyond the attack and behind Price’s net. Canadiens move it out and Buffalo are forced to ice it after some mild Montreal pressure.

Spacek gets a dangerous shot off the faceoff.

One man in the red woods. A lone Sabre works behind Montreal’s net with three Habs against him. Puck bloops to the side of the net where Price traps it with his leg pad.

Lapierre is jawing with his transparent Skull Dugger teeth and then wins the faceoff to Price’s right.

Eight and a half minutes left in the second period.

Price makes a routine save on a thirty-foot shot. Chest high save.

Buffalo wins the faceoff. Lydman shoots from the point. Long shots. Anything can happen. They’re more dangerous than long bombs in football. The hockey long shot has a slightly higher chance of scoring.

Completions don’t always mean touchdowns, yo.

Gionta is on.

Faceoff is outside the Montreal zone.

Gomez wins against Mike Grier. Puck is in the Sabre zone.

Pacioretty loses it but Gionta supports to keep it in. Then a smart pass to Spacek on the opposite point. Gomez’ pass. Miller is ready and unscreened and he slides about two feet out of the crease on his knees to stop and scoop.

Faceoff. Brief Buffalo entry. Then a second. Stafford shoots from near the Molson sign (maybe a 22 degree angle from Price) and the puck is stopped. And held for a faceoff.

Faceoff is to Price’s left and Plekanec loses it to Ellis (not Paul Ellis).

Lapierre line is forechecking. They can’t contain it.

Buffalo forecheck also fails.

Lapierre is now chasing.

Vanek gets a shot from the circle to Price’s left.

Gionta has it deep now. Passes to the slot. Intercepted. He was looking for Pacioretty.

By the way, Brodeur is a fraud.

Spacek pinches to help keep it in but misses the action and Buffalo gets a possession as a result. And a very dangerous shot from Jochen Hecht. First dangerous shot by Buffalo after a parcel of harmless ones. Puck goes out of play.

Markov sweeps up the won faceoff and launches the Montreal attack.

In the corner to Miller’s left. Moen skates out parallel to the end line. Shot. Another. He is dangerous. He fears no spot on the ice. Guys like that get about six goals a year just on grit. Deoxygenated by Miller.

Eighteen linebackers, anyone?

Lapierre and D’Agostini get in two-on-two and when Lapierre’s pass for D’Agostini fails both players backcheck with about 70% of the speed they used to skate in. How frustrating to watch.

Just over three minutes left in the second.

Plekanec takes a faceoff to Price’s left. Near the Molson ad.

To the corner near the Bell ad.

Gorges is giving a tepid effort. Now he follows it with a more high-risk lunge. But he doesn’t get the support and Montreal nearly gives up good space twice. They are fortunate no shots result. Then four red players exit. Against two Sabres. Plekanec’ pass is behind everyone and right onto a Buffalo stick. Unexpected and also frustrating.

D’Agostini is in down the right side. Loses the puck and resumes his spectator specialty.

Another four-on-two. And another bad pass right onto a Buffalo stick. Vanek intercepted it.

Just over twenty seconds.

Gomez is in with two guys in front. He sends it there. Nobody can get a stick on it.

Period ends.

Sabres are up 21-19 on shots after a 15-9 second period in their favour.

Ok. I’ve had about enough of your friend Matt D’Agostini. Bob will keep him around for the year, though. So. Well.

I guess I can always hope that Martin brings up Maxwell. Or something.

Second Intermission

Buffalo 1, Montreal 0

Interview of Buffalo’s Jason Pominville precedes the third.

Third Period

Buffalo 1, Montreal 0

Replay shows me that the Connolly goal was good only on the second shot. First shot went off the post.

Plekanec and Cammalleri are on first. With Pacioretty. Imagine if Koivu was on with them instead of Pacioretty?

Markov carries it out from behind his net. Passes it up and it bumps here and there and eventually Buffalo exits with it.

Montreal is back in. Pouliot. Tries to make a one-on-one move but he is too slow and awkward for that sort of thing. His shot goes wide.

Hecht line is on. Four passes. Shot right on. From the slot. Very dangerous line.

Montreal dumps it in for a line change.

Gill. In his own zone. Sends it down. Too far. D’Agostini is trotting after it. Apples and orchards.

Moen is chasing it next. He gets it and sends it to the slot. Metropolit can’t make it happen. D’Agostini gets the puck and a shot from the circle. Nope.

Faceoff.

Lapierre is asked to leave the faceoff circle. Mair exits with Myers. They show some interesting movement but can’t create the shot they want.

Montreal rush follows but the passing isn’t sharp enough. Gomez’ pass is intercepted on the two-on-two.

Plekanec and Pacioretty work briefly in Buffalo territory. They are chased out.

Stafford and Gaustad work to enter Montreal’s zone. Price has to make a save as Stafford goes to the net. First post-whistle jostling takes place. It’s short.

Faceoff is won by Buffalo and a shot from the wide side of the field is high but Price contains it with a shoulder-shrug and a glove. The wide side of the field, yes. It just looked like it.

Miller gloves one now for a faceoff.

Metropolit reaches for a floating puck after the faceoff. Two Habs go for it at the same time and it affects the effort as one thinks the other will get it. Buffalo exits and D’Agostini gets called for tripping.

I don’t have to say anything, do I.

Buffalo power-play.

Connelly gets a boomer off. Wide. To Price’s left. Plekanec clears it.

Montreal has survived the first minute. Gionta and Gomez are the second pairing. Markov and Hamrlik are the defensive duo.

Gionta nearly gets a breakaway. Too far. Buffalo regroups for a last segment with thirty-five seconds left in the penalty. They are in for about five seconds and the puck is cleared.

Rivet brings them in next. But Gill gets his stick on the puck and clears it. It’s enough.

Even strength.

Markov’s long pass misses everyone and it’s called for icing.

Passing improves as Plekanec’ line is back. And right as I type that, Plekanec turns it over.

Ellis and Grier are working behind the Montreal net. Long shot from Tallinder at the point. Price stops it.

Houde says that even with Plekanec today, the puck is not cooperating. He accompanies this with a mild, unaffected chuckle. I can’t be as mature about it.

Fleury is playing much worse than Price. Yet Fleury got selected for Team Canada. Almost every pick is senseless. Did Turin teach us nothing? Let me answer that, ‘Yes, it taught us nothing.’

What kind of thinking was employed? Oh. It wasn’t thinking, was it. A year and a half of back-patting, drinking and hubris. Oh, and fishing. And some cigars. Imagine listening to the campfire discussions that led to this sham team.

This is your Team Kanada (the “K” is for knucklehead).

Eleven and a half minutes.

Fleury’s save percentage is .907 to Price’s 0.914. Just in case you want a meaningless number to go with it.

Plekanec is on. They give up a rush to Stafford. Stafford gets close enough to consider a slot pass or a shot. Goes with a short jolting shot. Stopped easily.

Moen is on with Plekanec and Cammalleri. Pacioretty is on with Metropolit and Lapierre. A November line.

Just over nine minutes.

Montreal is working hard to create. But Buffalo is matching the effort. They are not the same team they were in the past two meetings with Montreal but they are turning the puck over less than in the first period.

Brunet feels that Roy is playing better defensively than last year.

Distance shot is tipped, covered well and gloved by Price. He’s had a fairly easy night but he’s been ready for what’s arrived.

Gomez and Gionta are on. Markov is adding to the attack by delving deep into the Buffalo zone.

Cammalleri and Moen hop on. Urgency has reached a plateau.

Buffalo looks tired but game. Montreal looks harried and tense.

Offence. Defence. Offence. Defence. Turnovers make viewers blink. What do they do to ankles, blades and boots?

Pouliot nearly scores. Miller gets a leg on it. Centring pass from Gionta.

Faceoff. But Lindy Ruff calls a timeout. It’s not a chalk-talk. It’s an icing-fatigue pause to rest his players who must stay on the ice following the icing.

Just over five minutes.

Canadiens control.

Shot from a distance. Repelled.

Another distance shot.

Then a slot chance. Nine seconds.

Price keeps us in it on the other end. Flat glove and puck-turtle pass. And a long excursion to handle the puck beforehand.

Faceoff to Miller’s left.

Four and a half minutes left.

Hamrlik fires it in. Montreal can’t control it. Stafford is on the other end shooting and watching it floop upward into the crowd.

Crease showdown post-whistle between Plekanec and Gaustad won’t move beyond Gaustad’s disdainful stare down at the diminutive centre.

We resume play with Gomez and Pouliot on with Gionta.

They have it deep. It goes to the point. Gorges wrists to a good spot to Miller’s left. No other sticks can help.

Plekanec line is on. Two minutes and twenty seconds.

Cammalleri carries it out. Looking. Entering, dumping, following. In the corner. Moen. Rivet. Buffalo wins it. Montreal has to chase. Hamrlik. Moves it up.

It’s repelled. This time Gorges and Moen combine to exit. Pacioretty is there to support deep. Buffalo ices.

Martin uses their timeout.

Brunet says he liked the decision since the team is tired tonight.

Muller has a blue marker out and is using the white-board.

Gomez takes the faceoff. Small crowd. Markov comes up with it. Gionta has it on the side and he tries to stuff it in via the side. Faceoff.

Blast from the right. Wide. Just under a minute.

Gomez to Markov. To the opposite side to Cammalleri. Same as that other game. Miller got over. Hard, difficult shot.

Faceoff is to Miller’s left. Gomez loses this one to Gaustad. Pominville pushes it further down. Canadiens chase it in. Plekanec has it on the boards. Shot from the slot. Houde’s voice rises. Miller stops an almost certain goal, says Houde.

Cammalleri’s jamming didn’t work.

Eleven seconds. Faceoff to Miller’s left.

Gomez loses it.

Not much else.

Buffalo 1
Montreal 0

HDS Stars: Ryan Miller, Drew Stafford, Andrei Markov
RDS Stars: Ryan Miller, Tyler Myers, Benoit Pouliot

Related posts:

1. Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals (Game Three)
2. Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres
3. Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres
4. Montreal Canadiens vs Philadelphia Flyers
5. Montreal Canadiens versus Florida Panthers
6. Montreal Canadiens vs Ottawa Senators