Montreal Canadiens versus Dallas (Minnesota) Stars

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 (22-21-4) host Dallas Stars (19-16-11)

Thursday, January 14, 2010
Game Forty-Eight (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.

Everyone has comfortably slipped into concluding that Halak has been better than Price for the past month or so. The fact is the two have been about even. Halak gets the good light because his win-loss record is far superior. But in watching these two, I would say that Price has had a higher percentage of quality saves per quality attempts.

Tonight we’ll see Carey Price start against old man Turco.

Dallas’ green glow has dimmed in recent seasons and the 1999 Stanley Cup champions are ranked eleventh in the west.

Young Chris Ciamaga is the 32-year old second referee tonight.

First Period

Dallas wins the faceoff and they retreat and exit from their zone.

Their first entry is ended early. Moen’s line was on first.

Gionta and Pouliot are on next and Pouliot gets an early chance from a direct bounce from the rear boards. A shot from Gionta. One of those purposeful bank shots designed to cause goalies trouble.

Dallas is in next and James Neal shoots one wide from the right faceoff circle.

Brunet says that he played with Turco in 01-02 and that he’s a reflex-type goalie.

Whistle.

Action resumes. Contact in the middle of the ice. Puck slithers to the corner to Price’s left.

Canadiens move it out. Skating is very slow for both teams.

Moen is on with Cammalleri and Plekanec next. Plekanec has it behind the net. Plekanec stickhandles patiently behind Turco, waiting. Waiting. Then a perfect pass to the slot. Direct shot is turned away by Turco.

Ott drives into the Montreal zone. Leaves it for the Swede, Brunnstrom. Shot. Price stops it.

Puck travels around the net. And another shot. Very dangerous. Right from the slot. He holds on for a faceoff.

Pace has increased to a normal level. Dallas is swiping and swerving. Price has to make yet another solid stop and he freezes it.

Ryan O’Byrne remains absent from the lineup.

Laraque is on. Lapierre and Bergeron are his linemates. Bergeron is chasing with robotic purpose and he whams a Dallas defender in the corner. Montreal fails to come up with the puck.

Now in the neutral zone, Bergeron gets his body in the way of a puck but can’t retrieve it. But it messes up Dallas’ entry and they have to regroup.

Brad Richards leads Matt Niskanen with a long pass but they go offside. Niskanen is a defenceman. Richards, of course, is the player of Tampa Bay fame and one of Dallas best offensive players.

Houde says that Plekanec looks very fast tonight and suggests that the long break has been good for the Czech forward.

Gomez has it deep. Lobs it around back. Canadiens apply some pressure. Gionta steps into a shot form the left faceoff dot and it is turned away.

Whistle. Puck goes out of play.

Marc Crawford is the new Dallas head coach. A complex man. Elegant, well-spoken and thoughtful yet combative, at times coarse and a bit of an enigma. His best years remain his tenure with the Colorado Avalanche with whom he won a Stanley Cup in 2001. I can’t remember if he was the coach for the team’s win in 1996.

D’Agostini and Lapierre combine to roll Turco to the ice. Lapierre’s shot was nearly deflected by D’Agostini. Turco has a Tim Thomas flair (or unorthodoxy) to his moves.

Dallas mounts an attack of its own. Two-on-one. Toby Petersen looks left the whole way and shoots it between Price’s pads.

Dallas 1, Montreal 0

Beautiful goal.

Plekanec’ squadron is on next.

Turco shows a glimpse of his great athleticism as he slides to the boards to play a puck for a teammate. Beautiful skating stride.

Speaking of which, Pouliot nearly closes a three stride advantage between two Dallas defenders. They manage to close the gap and retrieve the puck. They launch an attack. Price is ready this time. Save. Stoppage. Pouliot is lauded for his skating ability.

Hamrlik up for Metropolit. To Pacioretty on the right side. D’Agostini touches it and loses it with little sense of urgency.

Metropolit is back this time down the left side. Backhand shot is stopped easily and Dallas moves the disc out.

Turco has it two rushes later and fields it backhanded to a Star.

Delayed call.

Seconds honey down. It’s against Dallas.

Finally, after fourteen seconds of nothing, a Plekanec backhand reaches Turco.

Penalty is against Barch for holding.

Great name, eh?

Krystofer Barch. Wonder if it was way longer centuries ago. Barchowski. Barcholomew.

Canadiens attack has trouble and Price has to make the first save.

Gomez is in now. Shot just wide. Houde was excited.

Puck goes to the corner. Gomez centres it. Gionta fires it like a giant. It catarangs in.

Montreal 1, Dallas 1

Just over seven minutes left in the first period.

Gorges and Gill are on the ice to stand against the Dallas response. Gionta remains on. Martin often lets a goal-scorer stay on the ice. I like that kinda talk and action.

We see the replay and Markov was on the doorstep while Gionta’s shot was from the slot. The team has been working on “dirty hockey”, specifically getting men in front of the net. Planting them there.

Lapierre line is on.

Jere Lehtinen gets in on the right for Dallas. Moments later a delayed penalty is called against Montreal.

Interference. Hamrlik. Non-combative facial expression.

No questions from Brunet or Houde. It’s a fair call. The young ref makes the announcement. His second such announcement of the evening. How does it feel to be in Bell Central, son?

Dallas can’t set up for the first forty-five seconds. Now they get some control. The passing begins. Behind the net. Now to the point. Shot from Stephane Robidas (former Canadien). In. He’s wearing a full face-cage a la Dominik Hasek.

Dallas 2, Montreal 1

Shot beat Price to his right. No deflection but with Steve Ott parked in the Montreal crease, there may have been a screen.

Montreal gets some early pressure. Gionta line. But Dallas escapes and nearly makes trouble with a fluid three-on-one. Puck is deflected late in the entry and Montreal avoids giving up a sure scoring chance.

Martin is aggravated about something and is talking to someone. Looking up and to his right. No idea. When he is aggravated, he looks like a mildly distracted human being. Understated man.

Three and half minutes left in the period.

Brad Richards has it down low. To the point. Wild shot from Robidas goes to Price’s right (Barker)

Gomez and Pouliot engage in a skilled drop and lead exchange and Gomez’ resulting shot is from a dangerous area. But it goes wide.

Price behind his net. Backhands to Spacek. Canadiens can’t clear it. Spacek finally backhands it out. But it’s back in. Spacek now sends it to Bergeron in the middle of the Montreal blue line.

Neutral zone squeeze. Puck is now in Dallas ice.

Turco has to face a shot soon afterward. Stops it but with a bit of trouble. Houde says that Turco seems out of sorts tonight.

Plekanec takes the faceoff. Wins it. Markov comes up to support. Plekanec goes back to the point. Receives a pass.

Dallas interrupts it all and moves it out. But Montreal is back in with about a minute left.

Exit and re-entry and exit again. Thirty seconds left.

Gionta is in. Covered. Shoots. It goes up into the stands.

Faceoff is lost by Gomez to Turco’s right. Puck gets sent down to the Montreal end and icing is called. Eleven seconds. Martin’s jaw juts. Travis Moen and Tomas Plekanec exude calm on the bench. Canadiens win the faceoff but the puck escapes the zone.

Period ends.

Shots on goal favour Dallas 13-9.

First Intermission

Dallas 2, Montreal 1

A La Une. Alain Crete and Francois Gagnon. Gagnon has a very nice shade of blue on. Black shirt and black, leathery silk tie. Great combo. This one I want.

Vancouver issue is discussed. Canuck Alex Burrows recently accused referee Stephane Auger of being biased against him. Now we get some MLB and NBA film on referees who were questioned in their own respective turns.

Gagnon says he is not making a link between these referees and Auger but that it’s something that could certainly happen in hockey.

Gagnon mentions disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy who bet on NBA games and we get a look at Donaghy’s related book cover.

Burroughs was fined $2500 and Bettman spoke out against Burroughs. We’re all human. This one will blow over.

But the NBA one won’t

Laraque is interviewed and he compliments the Canadiens for the work they have done to raise awareness and funds to help the situation in Haiti. Laraque has family in the area. His French is fluent and I always forget how good a speaker he is. That fisticuff role of his, eh.

Second Period

Dallas 2, Montreal 1

Cammalleri hustles back to make a nice back-checking play but then turns it over. Oy. He is saved by Roman Hamrlik.

Gomez line is on. Price retrieves it from behind his net. Fires it up. Dallas resumes control in its own zone. Gionta takes the puck away. Metropolit has it. Passes it. All the action is close to Turco but no shot results.

Puck returns to the Montreal zone.

Moen exits.

Canadiens control it. Pacioretty sends a weak puck down and Dallas recovers it. Bergeron extends the Canadiens possession with an interception. Dallas gets it out finally. Montreal is back. Mara is working well to keep it in.

Laraque gets a shot. Another. Bad change by Dallas. Laraque scores. Timely. His first of the season. The team loves him.

Montreal 2, Dallas 2

Houde and Brunet comment on the magical irony. Crowd starts cheering hard for Laraque. Chanting his name.

PA announcer sends his voice high for the goal announcement. I like all of this solidarity. Laraque is still smiling on the bench.

Gionta has it after a faceoff. Right in front. Taken down. No call. Gionta returns to the bench with blood on his mouth. Accidental as Gionta took it in his face as he fell.

Faceoff to Price’s left.

Fabian Brunnstrom has it in the corner. Mara jams Steve Ott against the boards. Pacioretty exits. Loses it. Gill steps up and sends it back in. Dallas retrieves and exits.

Laraque line is back on. Lapierre thuds a Star behind the net.

Gorges struggles in front of our net. But manages to keep the puck from the Stars.

On the other end Lapierre continues his sharp work.

Three-on-two from Dallas ends on a careless pass.

Puck is briefly jammed on the boards just inside the Dallas line.

Plekanec exits with D’Agostini. Plekanec goes around the net.

Pace is rising.

Shot from Dallas from about 24 feet away and it is stopped.

Carbonneau is in the seats. First row down in some corner. He played with Dallas and Montreal, of course.

Montreal scores.

Right off a brutal turnover. Pass from the side right to the slot. Pouliot is the beneficiary.

Montreal 3, Dallas 2

Just over thirteen minutes left in the second.

Pouliot stays on. Moen and Pacioretty are there with him. Then Pouliot leaves and Metropolit can be seen.

Price bails out his team as the Red let Dallas move unimpeded for a long sequence. Faceoff.

Lapierre is on again. Laraque is up top waiting. Bergeron’s exit lob is intercepted easily. Long shot from the point rebounds to Bergeron. Montreal is repelled at centre ice.

This whole mob thing is very annoying. Why do we have to have the mob hanging around? And why does every country have a version? One day the universe will swallow something.

Another bad Dallas pass. And it’s Pouliot again with the puck. He’s capably defenced this time.

Three-on-one which drops down to a two-on-one. Gionta to Pouliot. Streaking. Firing. Stopped. Gets his stick on it for the backhand. Also stopped. He spins ice-bound to the corner. Great effort. Whistle.

Hal Gill has a steadying presence for the team. And I think his size is an understated advantage. The team has been freer to conduct themselves offensively since his acquisition.

Crawford is clapping his hands positively behind the bench.

Canadiens are working harder than in the first period. Lapierre line is on now. Bergeron works very hard at his new role on the wing. Tenacious forechecker.

Gorges has it in the corner. Fails to get it out on the right so he sends it behind the net to his left. This works as D’Agostini gathers it and exits.

Gorges has it on the blue line. Shoots. Stopped.

Dallas exits. Ott is on the left. Shot. Stopped and held by Price.

Price makes a tough stop from the faceoff.

Neutral zone fric-a-frac. Gomez. Dallas. Stars win this one.

Morrow hammers Hamrlik behind the Montreal net. Montreal exits nonetheless.

Gill starts a rush. Three Habs are deep. Moen is deepest and Metropolit and Pacioretty are providing support.

Pacioretty has such an awkward skating style. It’s as if he never got coaching and learned by watching old Bruin tapes from the fifties.

An Olympics plug reminds me that I hope this winter Olympiad will be the last to feature professional hockey players. I’m sure many NHL GMs will agree.

Dallas scores. Modano. Beats Price. Skirmish. Bad change. Gill got beaten down the side to start. Then a pass to the slot wasn’t taken care of and Modano came in to clean up the trash. Backhander finds the net.

Dallas 3, Montreal 3

If you were wearing a Canadiens hat would you also wear a Canadiens shirt? Pas moi. It’s one or the other. Two is overkill. Even one. People should know.

Madcon is playing on the PA system. I’m impressed. I wonder how mainstream they are. I know them from some random record store recommendation. Great recent album. Record? CD? Disc? Download? I’ll go with album.

Turco gloves a long shot after a nine-second sequence by Montreal. Good sequence.

Four minutes left.

Gomez and Pouliot chase it down in the Dallas zone. Spacek supports to keep it in. Now Gomez nearly sets up his buddies in the slot. Both of them. Puck is fanned on.

Dallas entry is interrupted with force by Spacek. He knocks down Jamie Benn. Big hit.

Moen chases it down in the Dallas corner. Metropolit continues the possession. Pass to Gill on the point. Dallas is looking gassed. They wait. Puck goes back to Gill. A shot. Blocked.

Lapierre line hops on and Lapierre nearly scores on a high backhand. Hamrlik and Cammalleri keep it in on the right side.

Lapierre and Plekanec both stand for the faceoff. Plekanec got booted from the faceoff circle.

Just over a minute left in the second period.

Pouliot and Lapierre go offside.

Gomez to Gionta. Powerful shot. Wide. From about 35 feet.

Cammalleri to Gomez. Too far. Gomez hits his cover-man. Seconds trickle out.

Montreal outshoots Dallas 12-11 and the shots total after two is 24-21 for Dallas.

Second Intermission
Dallas 3, Montreal 3

Joel Bouchard’s explanation of puck management by both Gill and Markov is illuminating. He is becoming an even stronger hockey educator. I am impressed yet again. Great technical knowledge.

Two interviewees. Maxime Fortunus who is from Quebec but has a Haitian heritage. Robidas is also interviewed. RDS and the Canadiens are showing great community leadership by covering this story and promoting donations to help UNICEF make a difference in Haiti.

Third Period
Montreal 3, Dallas 3

Laraque’s goal is his first since March 27th, 2008; when he was with Pittsburgh. I’ve come to realise why Edmonton fans like Big Georges so much.

Canadiens get early pressure but D’Agostini is back to his old ways. Lagging. Maybe he should be relegated to volunteer status. Just like his buddy Harper should.

D’Agostini is on with Plekanec and I find it odd. Alright. I don’t like it. I think D’Agostini and Pacioretty both belong in Hamilton. I like Pax but Dag is wood. Cammalleri is the third linemate, I just mentioned Pax cuz he is the other player I’d like to see in the development arena. But Pacioretty has a great future with the team. He works as hard as any Canadien in recent years.

Price makes a high gloves save and keeps a good line of sight on the puck.

Don’t think that Halak is playing better than Price. They are both playing very well. But I’d probably have Halak in my living room before Price. Sorry.

Richards flies out from behind the Dallas net and promptly loses it at the red line.

Gorges has it behind Price. Gets it to Cammalleri. Pass ricochets (a word I forgot earlier when Gionta scored) and is turned over.

Gomez is on.

Puck goes vector on us. Finally Montreal gets in. Pouliot. Chasing. Not giving up.

Dallas is in. Neal gets too much room to operate. Diving won’t help. Sliding won’t help. Come on guys.

Ole, ole chant begins. Just under fifteen minutes left in the game.

Pacioretty works to get in down the left side and his effort draws a hooking call. Delayed. Montreal retains control. Finally Neal touches it and the whistle goes. Crawford, the genius porcupine maintains his composure as Karlis Skrastins goes to the box.

Early shot from Gionta ricochets (yeah, I like that word) out of the zone.

Pouliot is a likeable player. He has a hockey conscience and I always want to see that.

Montreal gets control. Long shot from the opposite point for Markov. Wide. Bergeron nabs it. His work has been excellent in recent games. No turnovers and very alert play. Bien fait.

One more segment. Pouliot picks up a drop pass from Metropolit. Fires. Rebound is licked lightning. Black buzz volt. Gionta.

Montreal 4, Dallas 3

That’s how you blinking play.

Dallas has it right away and is pressuring as if it’s a power-play. Moen and Pacioretty is the combo allowing it. And Lapierre. Come on.

And a whistle. Quelle mauvais penalite, Pierre, says Brunet. It’s Pacioretty for hooking.

Man.

Commercial.

It was holding. Pacioretty held Waddell’s arm under his. I’ve always liked that kind of tactic. I have to chuckle. Ok. I stop chuckling.

Early clear by Montreal.

Andrei Markov and Gionta are on the left and Moen and Hamrlik are on the right. Shot from the right side is gloved by Price. Price is working well to keep his eye on the puck.

Plekanec and Moen are the second pairing.

Forty-six seconds. Plekanec is doing great work. Now Ott crushes Plekanec against the glass. It’s boarding. But Plekanec slashed first, it seems.

Dual penalty. But Ott could have killed Plekanec.

A slash is less deadly than a board.

Five-on-four for about thirty-five seconds.

Dallas gets a three on two.

Canadiens get a three on two.

No goals either way. Wild shot from the Habs on a third man-in late.

Now we are at four-on-four.

Nine and a half minutes.

Dallas starts out from behind their net. One pass. Moves and a hook.

Whistled.

Sixty-three percent of RDS voters (2811 respondents) feel that Brendan Morrow does not merit a spot on the Canadian national team. Hey, they’re right. And about half the other lugs on the team don’t belong either. RDS won’t say it because they don’t want to be perceived as separatists. So I’ll say it. Once again, Team Canada is Team Cromagna, instead.

Give me skill not intimidation. To Hades with cronyism and non-technical knowledge on our selection committees. Haven’t you had enough?

Dallas power-play continues but they are kept to the periphery and out of the Montreal zone for the most part.

Metropolit is back.

Just over seven minutes.

Markov to the hash. Pass goes long for Moen.

Dallas is in. It bounces in front. Price paddles it up and away from his crease. Casual man.

Like him or not, he is clevery good.

Lapierre is searching for targets, D’Agostini is backchecking and the team is a glove again.

Pouliot up for Gomez. Gomez inside the blue line. Looks ahead, drops it behind. Very slick.

Whistle and a small discussion involving Pouliot and one of the more entitled Stars. Oh the innocent, intrepid Canadians.

Gambling has been a part of society for many centuries. Ancient history shows families, even kingdoms ruined by this pastime. Why is it so compelling. It’s an addictive process for many. I am always amazed at how lightly we take it as compared with how devastating it can be.

Montreal is standing around. Finally Gomez goes and gets somebody. What is the point of waiting? The guy is just going to pass it around you. Unless he’s Alexei Kovalev; then he’ll walk around you.

But I don’t see Kovalev here and Mike Ribeiro, the Stars best one-on-one player, is not in the Dallas lineup tonight.

Cammalleri gets clear. Stops. Spins. What’s he doing.

He’s scoring. I can’t believe it worked.

Montréal 5, Dallas 3

Turned back and shot from his forehand again. Very slick. Five-hole.

This is the definition of “finding a way to win”.

Dallas is in again. D’Agostini is pretending to carry out his coverage assignment again. Mildly pressing up against a guy after the puck has gone for more than two seconds is not a pro play.

We see the replay and Hamrlik was the long-bomb passer on Cammalleri’s goal. Great vision.

Crawford calls a timeout. He looks about the same age he did ten years ago.

There’s some bald goatee guy to his right. Dave Bidini wrote that he doesn’t trust those goatee people. It’s an interesting hypothesis. Trust wasn’t quite the gist. But along those lines.

Just under two minutes.

I wish they would stop the Ole, Ole chant. I hate goal interruptions of that chant.

Net is empty.

Montreal is trapped in their zone. On the end boards. But they are able to clear.

Gionta is on. Good.

Canadiens have it in the neutral zone. They get a bit too pretty but the passes are so good, it doesn’t matter. And the receptions.

Dallas gets in with ten seconds left. But they can’t control it and the puck is cleared as the siren goes.

Montreal 5
Dallas 3

HDS Stars: Glen Metropolit, Brian Gionta, Toby Petersen
RDS Stars: Brian Gionta, Benoit Pouliot, Stephane Robidas

I take it back. Michel Bergeron is not afraid of being thought of as a separatist. He says that Morrow should have been kept off the team in favour of Lecavalier or St. Louis. L’Antichambre, the RDS post-game show is on and, of course, I listen to it while editing this text.