Montreal Canadiens versus New Jersey Devils
January 22, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles
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 (23-23-5) visit New Jersey Diables (33-14-1)
Friday, January 22, 2010
Game Fifty-Two (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. Usually the RDS telecast of the game.
Halak and your buddy Martin Brodeur are the goalies tonight.
First Period
Houde says that D’Agostini is on Plekanec’ line after his sojourn last game and that both make up a clear message to the young player. Houde adds that he is looking forward to seeing how #36 reacts to the situation.
Plekanec intercepts a pass and accelerates in his head-down way, urgency and precision; a shot is stopped from an unfavourable angle and the Devils are away.
Pessimism. It’s something the fan base has been struggling with this week. It’s affected me a bit, too. But I’m optimistic. We can play against these guys. Anyone, really.
Metropolit is called for hooking and the call is legit. But it shows how far the NHL has come in terms of identifying obstructive penalties in the past few years. Quick and skilled offensive players are freer to play their game and it is far better entertainment for fans.
Devils power-play is patient and steady. The passes and almost slow. But they are safe passes.
Until Plekanec intercepts one and slides it out. Devils are back in and with twenty-five seconds in the penalty have yet to generate a quality shot.
Another interception and clear forced New Jersey to regroup and they get three more seconds in the Montreal zone. They get a sharp chance from the slot and Halak is square to the puck.
Montreal exits.
It doesn’t last long. Jamie Langenbrunner finds Zach Parise free at the Montreal blue line and the alternate captain makes a left to right move and tucks the puck between Halak’s pads.
Sorrow and solemnity.
New Jersey 1, Montreal 0
Long pass was from the circle to Brodeur’s left. How did Parise get so wide open? Oy.
Once again there are many unfilled seats in the former Brendan Byrne arena.
And they are an unboisterous group.
But they are not a silent Calgary crowd. There is a constant white noise, an undercurrent of evaluation and sound.
And there is booing. For Gomez. He is a former Devil.
Pouliot is on with him and Gionta, as well. They are a regular unit now and one of the reasons Montreal supporters can be happy. Pouliot’s addition a few weeks ago after being traded for Guillaume Latendresse has been a good one (for easily frustrated typists like me, too).
About twelve and a half minute remain in the first period.
Gionta is on again and drives down to the corner. Passes to the slot but the puck bounds upward into the crowd.
Parise and Langenbrunner. Again. Two-on-one. Pass. Shot. Halak is there.
Markov to Gorges to Pouliot. Puck is left behind at the faceoff circle to Brodeur’s left. Pouliot tried to jump over a stick or leg and couldn’t retain the puck. Good idea, though.
Canadiens are beginning to win the puck race and chase.
Bergeron. Lapierre. Lifting sticks and skating to points on the triangle.
Darche is on. He chases down a puck behind the Devil net.
Cammalleri gets the puck to D’Agostini at the blue line but the puck is lost as he attempts a shoot-in.
Moen line is on. Moen is taken down near the left NJ hash. Devils pick up the puck and send it on its way.
Devils are hanging back as much as Montreal is beating their opponents to the disc.
But the Canadiens tighten the wires and move the puck well enough for two dangerous shots.
It ends after about seven seconds.
Just over seven minutes left in the first period.
Devils match the increase in intensity and Montreal’s interception rate increases accordingly.
Gill has it in the corner to Halak’s left. Sends a medium pass to the red line. Shot follows seconds later and Brodeur extinguishes it.
Patrick Elias is not in the lineup tonight for New Jersey, we are informed. Concussion. Very important player. Very serious injury.
Just over five minutes.
Pouliot sends it in from the neutral zone. Moen can’t retrieve it.
Devils send it in themselves and Gill retrieves it. Icing follows.
We see a replay of the concussion. And of Elias being taken off the ice on an ice stretcher. That is always disturbing. Contact sports have no place in society. Yes, including football and boxing which I have watched for many years. I’d sign the petition. Just to change the rules. Not to abolish the sport. Well, in boxing’s case, it would be the sport. Hardy, har.
Third commercial of the period. This one features great animation and good colours. Videotron. Too bad they are associated with a presumptuous clod. You tell me who.
Cammalleri has to take the faceoff on the left circle. Puck leaves the Montreal zone within seconds. Deflection.
Plekanec takes this one and wins it on the corresponding offside circle.
Long pass from Hamrlik goes into traffic and Montreal commits yet another turnover. Devils ice the puck.
Martin looks concerned and out of sorts. One of his more pronounced looks of pain.
Gomez to Markov in the slot. Couldn’t get enough on it. Puck slides behind the net. To the slot. Fired in. Pouliot. From Gomez and Moen. Moen sent it from the corner to the Gretzky spot and Gomez put it on Pouliot’s stick.
Brunet mentions that Pouliot’s goal comes against his former coach; Jacques Lemaire was Minnesota’s head coach last season and Pouliot was one of his forwards.
Montreal 1, New Jersey 1
Just under three minutes in the first period.
Mara retrieves it behind his net. Leaves it for Gill. Gill sends it to the left back to Mara.
Puck is worked into New Jersey ice.
Lapierre gets a shot. Glove. Then another shot from Darche. Can’t get it on net. Puck is frozen soon afterward. Whistle.
Plekanec line is on next. Devils are called for another icing. None of these are because of Montreal pressure.
Gionta retrieves the puck after a nebulous faceoff result. Plekanec and Cammalleri are on and Gionta is with them. Either it’s a delayed line change or something new. It looks like something new. This trio remains on as the last minute is announced.
Hamrlik sends a long shot in from the blue line that creates some problems. Devils move it out for a brief possession of their own.
Metropolit and Lapierre work to keep the puck alive in Devil circles but it lasts maybe four seconds.
Period ends.
Houde says that the Devils seem to be playing nervously tonight. I find that puzzling.
Montreal leads on shots 14-12
First Intermission
Montreal 1, New Jersey 1
Demers says the Canadiens have passed the test and that Martin is able to play his best players more often and can run things more his way. He is referring to the recent release of Georges Laraque.
Renaud Lavoie interviews Benoit Pouliot and we get another reminder that Lavoie is the smartest man in hockey history. No, world history. Reseau de Sports is very fortunate.
Oh, and they should have interviewed Scott Gomez.
Second Period
New Jersey 1, Montreal 1
Halak misplays the puck behind his net. Devils push it to the point. Shot. Halak stops it.
We see a picture of mildly iconoclastic and at-times enigmatic Lou Lamoriello. The Devil GM is an independent thinker who has run the Devils with a high degree of success for many seasons. Twenty-two.
True dynasties last thousands of years. Ok, hundreds.
Halak stops action.
We see a shot of Carey Price with a near-petulant expression and a deep red ball cap. His glove is on.
French pronunciations of non-North American names are sometimes divergent of English ones. Devils forward Vladimir Zharkov’s last name is pronounced “Jarkoff” by Pierre Houde. The “J” has a “z” quality to it, as well.
Close in chance by Zajac is neutered by Halak.
Pickled, sliced eggplants, like limes, need more of a presence in my kitchen. Brightened pasta. This is my dinner. Garlic linguine with green olives and pickled eggplant in a pepper sauté. What one can do in an intermission.
Darche drops it for Gionta at the point. Gionta fires and it goes in. What velocity. Brunet and Houde think that Darche got a stick on it. Brunet is very excited and states he is convinced.
Third replay shows that Devil Mike Mottau’s stick was the deflector.
Montreal 2, New Jersey 1
Just under fourteen minutes left in the second period.
Cammalleri is on with Gionta and Plekanec again. So this is a new look.
Houde comments on it as well and I feel inappropriately proud for having noticed, too. Houde says that it is the second straight appearance for Gionta with the Plekanec trio.
Guess the prime minister; a combination of Sean Avery and Alan Eagleson. It’s a holitics riddle. Better than pockey. Suggestions welcome.
Cammalleri gets called for slashing. Fair call. Do you think that they are assigning better reffing units to Montreal games because they are higher-profile games, more written-about? Or is the reffing just better this season?
Guess the premier; a combination of Pat Quinn and Baba Yaga. This one’s a few years back.
Devils attacque massive moves the puck well. Still a bit slow-mo.
Parise, Langenbrunner and Zajac are on with Parise and Green. They control for over a minute. Two shots. One clear (Gorges’ interception). Forty-five seconds left. Both teams change lines.
Hamrlik interrupts the next entry. Twenty seconds left in the penalty.
Dean McAmmond enters. Foiled.
Moen finishes the job and the penalty ends.
Montreal gets pressure. The real kind. Chance. Too sharp. Now to the slot and a sure goal. But the net boofs off the moorings and a Hab is entwined. Whistle. Houde tells us the Devils are getting called for something.
Then we see the rapidly declining Subway franchise try and convince us they are still cool and relevant. No. Maybe the odd location but as an entity, you have entered the Roman phase of your fast-food history.
Rob Neidermayer is in the box for interference.
Neidermayer is a sneaky player. Not a fan.
Bergeron is on with Markov at the point and Plekanec is on with Pouliot and Cammalleri.
Another new alignment.
They move it. Plekanec is the carrier and axel. Turnover in the slot.
Devils reject two Montreal entry attempts before the puck is controlled by Bergeron and Plekanec along the left boards. Plekanec saucers one to the other side. Just a bit far. Devils get a brief flurry from the two-on-two exit.
Canadiens are in for a second-wave last twenty second chance. Nope.
Last chance. Three seconds left as Gionta fires one from the slot after another entry.
We’re at even strength and just under seven minutes.
Markov steps up further than his forwards to block a pass at the Devil blue line. It looks risky but it works.
Cammalleri is on with Plekanec and Gionta again. Third time. Maybe fourth.
Very interesting.
D’Agostini is not getting any ice.
Pouliot is on now with Gomez and Moen.
Just over five minutes left in the second.
Brunet says that we haven’t seen much of D’Agostini or Pacioretty. He says the players who are getting the extra ice time are loving it. He asks rhetorically, will this be an issue tomorrow (they are playing again) and then answers himself; tomorrow is tomorrow.
Cammalleri is in with Plekanec again. Gorges keeps it in on the blue line.
Behind the net. Cammalleri. Tries a lift and roll. No. At the side of the net.
Action speeds up. Devils are getting more desperate.
Gomez won’t let them control. He is chasing well. Some guys don’t have to stride as many times to get the same speed and acceleration. It makes it seem that they are working less hard. Reminds me of Mervyn Fernandez’ smooth, long stride. He’d look as if he was doing nothing til he was four strides past the corner.
Gomez has a deceptive stride and I think he is a great skater.
Fernandez was the CFL BC Lions’ go-to man before starting with the NFL Los Angeles Raiders in 1986. Roy Dewalt was the comet-armed passer for him up north.
Break.
Return.
Canadiens win the faceoff. Just over two minutes.
Brodeur retrieves it behind the net. Devils squiggle out passing and looking. Calm heathens. Well, is he employed by God or by Hell? Or is it hell? Or are both Catholic institutions? I mean Protestant.
Ah, fiction.
Devils chase into the left corner (of Halak). They control along the Montreal blue line for an uncomfortable eight seconds. Moen exits the puck. Goes forth. And then back. And then forth again. The puck is ownerless. But with twenty seconds left it is sent deep into Montreal ice.
Spacek is working against two hard-chasing Devils.
He succeeds. Puck leaves and as it is bounced ahead into Devil ice, the horn is heard.
End of period
Devils get the shot advantage 6-5 for a 19-18 Montreal lead after two.
Second Intermission
Montreal 2, New Jersey 1
I want Joel’s TV.
He tells us that the third and fourth line can get nervous and not take scoring chances that come up.
Third Period
Montreal 2, New Jersey 1
I’m going to miss Big Georges. Good guy, heart of gold type. And a vegan and the league’s heavyweight champ. What a combo. It’s too bad he didn’t fight more. Yes, yes. He was brought in to do that and he didn’t do it enough. Gainey said that Big Georges had become a distraction. So there may have been other elements we are not aware of. So, yeah, get rid of fighting. But Big Georges won me over.
Early action is hot.
Langenbrunner puts an arm around Gorges to keep him from a post-whistle scrum. It doesn’t last long. Langenbrunner has a big ego.
Sorry. That’s what I see, that’s what I’m going to type. An inflated sense of self. Hey. I may be wrong. (But I doubt it. Thanks, Charles)
Long shot from White. How’d it get through. Halak does the “clutch-the-blanket” move. Puck bounces out. Halak can’t see it. Habs clear it. He couldn’t see it. He lost it. He lost it. Ok. Sorry again.
D’Agostini is going to fight Fraser. Don’t ask me who I’m cheering for.
Fraser demolishes D’Agostini after an early tie.
About ten unanswered punches. Fights can cause brain injury. One of many reasons to ban the practice. Fraser goes to the dressing room.
D’Agostini is a slower athlete than Fraser. I think all he really has is a shot. Pierre Dagenais only had a shot. And some good size. A high-calibre shot, a big-league shot is worth waiting for the other elements to develop around it. But only for so long. And if you’re going to be arrogant about it, the process becomes much shorter.
Je pense que ces jours en Montreal se deviennent tres court de jour par jour. Tu va voir.
Crowd is pepper and please. Habs are rubber-band and ballast. Devils are chalk and water. Halak makes a save on a crest shot.
Pouliot and gang stay on the ice.
Markov is up past the hash on the replay. Pouliot’s shot from the slot is powerful. Pass was from Markie-mark. All from the replay.
We resume.
Just under sixteen minutes left in the game.
Neutral zone. Rolston up for McAmmond. Chases it behind the net. Golfs it towards a teammate. Canadiens recover.
Cammalleri is chasing behind Brodeur and falls.
Devils move out. And are sent away.
They regroup. But Pouliot stops them on the blue.
They move it out. Small, short passes.
Canadiens are where they need to be. I think they are a bit affected by the unexpected release of Laraque. Laraque’s contract remains valid. Canadiens pay him for the remainder of this season and half of the next. Scott Morrison said that was more than fair.
Alright then. I can agree with Scott Morrison when I have to.
How do the real writers keep any friends?
Thirteen.
Bergeron.
Retrieves.
Long pass. Tick and bounce. Devils return.
Passes are longer. Space is ovalizing. I recognize this spacing and rhythm. Goals come from this kind of loooooping, seeeeee-sawing, lawng lung, cold stretch and white syntax.
Dev-Ills. Kin-adiens. Devilles. Canad-IEN. Devillllls. Habitants. Smooth. And Seville.
Gionta. Pushing it up. Pretty deep. Just past the hash. Full brake. Backhand pass for Plekanec in the slot. Fails.
Zajac and Parise make me grimace the other way. But Halak is a kneeling grandmother, grabbing her knitting ball. And she’s a gonna be a whistle.
I still can’t believe that Michael Smith agreed to that Mars ad. Just wrong. I think he should apologize to us. To the nation.
I just had a Mars bar.
We’re back from a corporate alley inquisition.
Cammalleri. Enters. They keep it under control. It’s a four-on-four.
Repealed.
Langenbrunner shoots now. Halak stands it up.
Gorges. Wheeling. To Gomez on the hash.
Shot. Brodeur and an eagle are grappling for the puck on crease’s lip. Brodeur exaggerates his fall. He should get called for acting. Nothing results.
Fourteen seconds in the four-on-four. Just over nine minutes in the game.
Moen exits. Drops for Gill. Turns fully to leave the puck for the hulking defender.
Puck goes to the neutral zone.
Back the Devils come. And now they have Foreman on the ropes. Oy. And in trouble. Fifteen seconds of shots and saves.
The other way. Darche. Markov. Le but.
That’s hockey.
Montreal 3, New Jersey 1
Darche came up with the puck. Took it from Bryce Salvador. Just took it from him. Sent it to Cammalleri in the slot. Scorer’s goal. Bryce had it and Darche did some stick work. Bodied Salvador. Salvador fell, it was legal. Really great work. Ryan Walter kinda stuff. Well, for a moment, that’s what it was.
And Cammalleri is on the bench with one of his Willem Dafoe expressions. He also looks a bit bagged from that shift.
Devils get another penalty. Montreal gets to move the puck and create chances as it is a delayed call. Lapierre has a point-blank chance but Brodeur was already there. Whistle. Pause.
Penalty is tripping against Ben Walter. He has a guilty sort of expression n his face.
Walter is actually born in Beaconsfield, Quebec. Kind of in the area I lived in while I was in Montreal. Brossard. I said kind of.
First thirty seconds are dead.
Now the Habs get it in. Shot from the point by Markov.
Stopped.
Devils chase it out. Halak comes out (successfully) about thirty feet straight out of his net. Plays it.
Canadiens are back in but only for about four seconds and all along the wasted boards.
They work hard but the Devils are causing problems, too. Great effort from both teams.
Nothing colourful but a lot of closing lanes and meaningful stick.
Penalty ends.
Devils are silky again.
Shot results. One foot lifted from thirty-five feet out. Pad turn and we are back and forth again. And a line change.
Pouliot line is on.
Houde says that after giving up the first goal that they have been without fault. Flawless? Irreprochable is the French word. Irreproachable is an English word but I think the meanings are slightly different from English to French. It happens.
Four and a half minutes.
There is not much difference between teams in the NHL. Not anymore.
Tell me what a bad game is. I agree (once again) with Bob McCown (thanks); if you didn’t know the score and just watched the film without the goal-scoring plays you wouldn’t be able to identify the winning team. Very revealing method of explanation.
Mario Tremblay is always in an opaque and foul mood when behind the bench. The former Canadiens head coach and player is now an assistant with New Jersey Devils. Lemaire is also a former Canadiens head coach and player.
Winners spread throughout a league. Along with their protégés. I was watching some Bill Walsh footage the other day.
Minute and a half left in the period.
Should experts discuss their findings with amateurs? Maybe only when the amateur is willing to listen. What’s the point otherwise. It boggles me that folks can consider themselves on a level when they’re not.
Neutral zone fumblings. Devil net is empty.
They drive it in.
Langenbrunner is there. To Rolston. It goes to Zajac who appears around the side of the net.
Stopped. Cleared. And even time for a line change.
Houde remarks that this is a luxury.
Canadiens clear off the next entry. And they are called for icing with eighteen seconds left.
There are no onside kicks in hockey.
Shot. Stopped. Faceoff.
Gionta, Plekanec and Cammalleri are on. Plekanec wins the faceoff. Gionta exits. Right side. Neutral zone. He’s got a chance. Three seconds. And he is ridden towards the boards and his shot is negligible.
Montreal 3
New Jersey 1
Price likes Cammalleri. Bumps him a bit on the way off the ice. Sorta traps him on the boards. Use your powers for good, Jedi. I hope Mike uses his influence in a continually positive way. I’m sure he does.
HDS Stars: Josh Gorges, Roman Hamrlik, Paul Mara
RDS Stars: Mathieu Darche, Jaroslav Halak, Brian Gionta
Best work from the blue line in a while. Demers is tieless and pleased. Black reverend look. Jet black. Joel Bouchard says that Darche is better than several players. He lists eight. He adds that Darche and players like him wait and wait and watch other anointed players go up knowing all the while that they can do it. Bouchard says Darche got his chance and did his thing. Darche had a goal and an assist.
Ante-Chambre has their smartest line-up out. They’ve never been all on together at once. All they’re missing is Alain Crete. Norman Flynn, Jacques Demers, Francois Gagnon and the new guy for this season, who has shaved his moustache tonight. Great combo.
Demers is people-smart.
Ok, I’m editing this thing but I have to add that Francois Gagnon is a very observant, fair and intelligent man. I’m impressed with his take on the Laraque situation. He compares it to what happened with Kovie last winter, the two days off and explains Gainey’s logic to the point where I am convinced. Gagnon believes that Laraque was given the chance to take a break and change his behaviour but because he, in essence, refused, it led eventually to this result.
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