Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins

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 (27-25-6) host Pittsburgh Penguins (35-21-1)

Saturday, February 6, 2010
Game Fifty-Nine (score posted following scribbles)

Musings and In-Game Scribbles are a “live blogging” of the game that are compiled (typed, actually) during the game then edited and posted shortly after the game. Usually the RDS telecast of the game. They’re also a unique way to catch the game if you missed it.

Charles Prevost-Linton delivers another two anthems with great conviction and a clipped beard.

Your goalies are Jaroslav Halak and Marc-Andre Fleury.

First Period

Dan Marouelli and Steve Kozari are the two refs and the linesmen shall remain unnamed.

Houde reminds us that it’s Super Bowl weekend.

Darche knocks down Fleury behind the net. No call. Puck goes in the net. Houde is delighted. Fleury spreads his arms questioningly at the officials.

Accidental hit. Puck rounded the boards and was shot in from the side boards near the hash. Goal counts. Seems an unfair result.

Montreal 1, Pittsburgh 0

Dan Bylsma has a controlled expression and crossed arms.

Darche was on with Plekanec and Sergei Kostitsyn.

We resume.

A Hockey God gets involved and knocks O’Byrne down with an invisible finger. Staal and Dupuis combine for a goal.

No video replay and all is right on the ice and the scoreboard. Brunet thinks the goal should be good as the officials deliberate. The puck may have gone off Dupuis’ skate.

If there is no deliberate gesture to kick the puck in, the goal will stand. We see a replay and no such gesture is evident.

Announcement is that the goal is good.

Faceoff is between Glen Metropolit and a Gwin. Maxwell and Lapierre are the wingers.

Bergeron and Pouliot are missing today.

Ryan White is in the lineup today and he is on with Maxwell and Desharnais. (Brock Trotter is also in lineup.)

They get some pressure late in their shift.

Darche is back on and is sent in by Markov for a closed-angle shot.

Next sequence is a pass from Sergei that Darche turns into a cross-crease backhand chance. Fleury was beaten and out of his crease. Darche shakes his head as he returns to the bench. Stoppage in play followed the crease incursion. Darche lost the puck.

Gomez is on. Faceoff is to Fleury’s left.

Pittsburgh’s Crosby line is on. Matt Cooke is on with him.

Plekanec line jumps back on. Darche shovels the puck behind the Pittsburgh net. Fleury falls again. Canadiens can’t create.

Plekanec exits. Mini-dump. Is taken down as he attempts to circumvent Goligoski.

Action is crisp and high. Montreal is pushing the tempo. Whistle. Maxwell is called for hooking.

Faceoff is to Halak’s right. It’s Halak’s third straight start.

Whistle goes shortly after the faceoff.

The resume in the circle to Halak’s left. Penguins control. Puck goes to the point.

Malkin has it down low to Halak’s left along the end line. Crosby is on the corresponding point.

Kris Letang and Sergei Gonchar are along the opposite board. Puck is worked strictly along the perimeters and is pushed out once by the Canadiens. Second sequence sees more of the same and one long wide shot. Canadiens positioning isn’t giving the Penguins anything worth attacking. Penalty ends.

Cooke has it low and in an unfortunate spot. He sends it across. Pass doesn’t arrive.

Lapierre is on now. Letestu has it on the left boards. He controls for more than eight seconds. Finally the Canadiens take it from him.

Pittsburgh’s Rupp sends it back after a brief entry.

Desharnais nearly scores for Montreal. When the Canadiens play a highly motivated period, the chances are hard to keep up with.

Stoppage in play. Commercial.

Puck goes around from behind the net.

Gomez has it. To Markov in the middle of the blue.

Shot is blocked.

Action is quickly at the other end where Halak makes two saves.

Fleury now has to make a save of his own. There is lull to this pace. Houde remarks that the teams are giving viewers a great spectacle.

The Canadiens are able to produce these high-quality efforts against the big-name opponents but cannot consistently furnish the same response against less-respected opponents. This is an old theme. It was explained in the past by the number of young players on the team. It might be explained in the same way again.

Of course there are some who are ready on every game night. Metropolit is one and he is on with Lapierre and Maxwell. Lapierre is not one of these. Neither is Maxwell.

Gionta and Gill trade the puck in the Montreal zone. Turnover at the neutral zone.

Letang shoots wide. Puck bounces in front of Halak. No responding shot.

Desharnais is skating as if he may never play in the NHL again. White retrieves it in the corner with gusto. Zest line.

Moen is buoyed by this as his industry is usually solitary.

The pace has deteriorated. The crowd is silent.

Houde remarks that someone has given Crosby a gift as the former Rimouski player crosses the slot and tries a backhander. This one fails.

Hamrlik starts a rush. Lapierre and Maxwell are on with Metropolit. Initial entry lasts about four seconds.

Moen forces his way past Gonchar on the left. Small flurry results in the crease. Uh. Yeah. Fleury gloves it for a whistle.

Gomez takes the faceoff against Crosby to Fleury’s left. Gomez wins it and a shot from the point sails wide.

Crosby takes it in the neutral zone and tries the one wing up move to get around Gill for a shot. Puck goes too far and Gill plays the position adroitly.

Whistle follows soon afterward in the neutral zone. Harmless stop in play.

Plekanec loses the faceoff against Staal. Halak retrieves the puck behind his net.

Puck rounds the boards and the Penguins retrieve it as it trickles past the end line.

Back and forth becomes the theme and Halak traps a twenty-five foot bad-angle shot.

We see a shot of Mike Cammalleri in the upper bowl’s special seating sections. Then a shot of Bob Gainey.

Just under three minutes left in the first period.

Pittsburgh’s Craig Adams will be called for tripping. Ryan White gets provoked by Michael Rupp shortly after this trip and White takes the bait. Luckily a veteran steps in to prevent a loss of the power-play.

Desharnais is on with Plekanec and Gionta. Markov and Spacek are on the blue line.

First presence ends in a long clear by Pittsburgh. Ninety seconds left in the power-play. Dump-in to gain a line change results in a Pittsburgh clear. Canadiens regroup. Gomez takes them in. Puck hits a skate. And out. Next entry results in an offside.

Centre-ice faceoff. Just under a minute left in the power—play.

Malkin and Staal are the Pittsburgh kill pairing.

Habs set up. Quick passes. Now one escapes Gorges on the Blue.

One last entry. Darche chases it. Gomez and Gorges exchange the puck along the boards. Penalty ends.

Darche and a few Has are involved in a seemingly sloppy line change. And a whistle and lively hand signal send Plekanec to the box.

I typed the “boax” initially.

Shot wide from the blue line makes thunder behind Halak and then the siren goes.

First Intermission
Montreal 1, Pittsburgh 1

I don’t hear anything worth transcribing.

Second Period
Pittsburgh 1, Montreal 1

Pittsburgh has a power-play but Montreal creates the best chances.

Sergei, White and Hamrlik are each important in this sequence which includes a Kostitsyn rush and drop-pass for Hamrlik down the runway (the slot upward).

Penalty ends and the Canadiens re-establish a more regular Bell rhythm. Desharnais is still interested in the shorter runway and his and his linemates’ efforts serve as potential embarrassment for the rest of the team if they don’t match.

Plekanec line is on.

Darche misses a sure goal on a pass from Plekanec. Hard to tell. Replay shows a Penguin stick interrupted the crease pass.

Passes are longer, more misses, more whistles.

Moen is going to the penalty box.

Once again, I have to say that the officiating in Montreal games this season has been the best I’ve ever seen. Games are the right speed and pace; clean and fast yet when the calls come they are less based on context and more reflective of what is actually happening on the ice. If a team commits three straight fouls, they will likely go to the box three straight times. None of this “let’s balance it” or “let’s penalize each team equally”. The days of the Thunder Bay minor league 1975 moron coach are coming to an end.

Canadiens snipe, strike and interrupt this power-play. As it ends, two chances arrive. Gwin backhand repulsed. Gionta breakaway unstopped.

Montreal goal. Gionta into the boards.

Montreal 2, Pittsburgh 1

Gionta is wincing but sitting in his spot on the bench. Flew over Fleury. Came in alone; his speed is fireball-eating-egg. An aural consumptive.

Plekanec takes the subsequent faceoff. Action flows to Fleury’s cage quickly. Now Desharnais misses an open net.

Pittsburgh penalty.

Homebrew hubris should be founded or unexpressed. Marvis Frazier shouldn’t shout down Mike Tyson, eh.

Commercial. Mute.

We’re back.

Gomez scores.

Plekanec and Gionta were arrayed around the net, too. Side goal.

Orpik was the penalized Penguin. That cascade feeling comes over me briefly but the crowd sounds decrease and the feeling becomes lingering.

Habs crowd the net again. Crowd rises thickly. Whistle. Brunet mentions the word adrenaline. The ice is bright. Fleury’s pad saves humiliation. He traps the disc. Sergei Gonchar goes to the box.

Pittsburgh gets an early clear.

Markov is down in the corner. Houde thinks that Cooke got him.

Brunet says he doesn’t want to say that Matt Cooke is vicious but that he is a hard player. Cooke certainly has a vicious facial expression as he contemplates his work. Markov went down like a shot deer; twisted angle. I am relieved to see him skating with a Markovian expression on his face. It’s tinged with a we’ll-see sense. Cooke did something with his stick.

Action resumes.

Uh, it’s not ok to even things out with physical violence. If you think so, I know a mountain for you to live on. Let’s see how you do without running water, paved roads and medicine on demand. “Fit in or f__k off.” (That was a sign on former Argonaut head coach Rich Stubler’s door) … and f__k off means “go away”.

Canadiens get only one real shot on this sequence.

Let the lawsuits begin.

We’re back to even strength.

Gomez takes the draw to Halak’s right.

What Price a loaf?

Halak loses a puck. Pittsburgh scores. Crosby is saying something with a leadership scowl on his face. Is scowling after scoring plays a form of leadership? Guerin got the goal.

Montreal 3, Pittsburgh 2

Halak has to stop a shot early o the next shift. Five and a half minutes left in this swift game.

Sergei gets away with a hooking call. They should let all four officials carry whistles. Let’s get it as clean as it can be. Can you imagine the speed?

High slot shot from Cooke is allowed by the Canadiens. Lapierre line is on.

The number of invested players is dropping. Desharnais is one of the invested. Markov fires from the point. Fleury stops it. Markov is still in pain. We see his face briefly before a cash tyrant pause.

Crosby is back on the ice. His mouthguard hangs a bit out of his mouth, his breath is deep and a bit laboured.

Dupuis collides with O’Byrne behind the Montreal net. Dupuis has little effect.

Action is on Montreal ice. Two and a half minutes.

Moen banks it up the left boards for Gionta. Gwins send it back.

Pittsburgh’s Letestu has it. Centres it. Puck is a bit ahead of the recipient.

This Letestu is making a deep imprint on this game. He’s always on the puck.

Metropolit exits with one of the rookies. Sends a pass sidelong for the opposite boards. Zippo.

Just over a minute left in the period.

It’s announced in French. We get a brief shot of the Pittsburgh bench. The grey ash of the crowd is behind the players winking white helmets. And a balding dude who resembles Rick Tocchet is behind the Penguin players. I wonder how bad it all smells. Hockey is one of the most unpleasant-smelling of the sports.

It’s the ice dripping into water that leaves us with a perma-mildew odour. On all things metal, plastic and cotton. Ugh.

Period ends.

Canadiens lead on shots 23-16 after a 12-9 second period advantage.

Second Intermission
Montreal 3, Pittsburgh 2

There’s a lot to be said about enthusiasm. These young turks, the Bylsmas, the Cloustons and to a certain extent, the Babcocks, all have a force of presence that intimidates, guides and demands. Their players feel it. And it’s constant. Maybe that is the difference between a milder coach and a more intense one. Jacques versus Jacques.

Savage imprints. Sintered sentences.

Joel lets us know that the three young guys are giving us great energy. First we see footage of Trotter’s work. Then Desharnais. Demers talks about how Martin St. Louis was criticized early in his NHL career, with Calgary. Desharnais is a smaller player.

So was Cournoyer. Speed bests size. Every time. Every sport. Beat em to the punch. Bill Walsh.

Size survives in this league partially because the rules-makers make it easier for the brute to keep using the tactics that benefit him when he is beaten by speed.

Say it this way, I’ll take a fast guy over a beef guy. And if the rules were bent hard in the other direction, the only big guys we’d see would remind us of Mario.

We see some footage on the little RDS practice rink. Joel is showing us some hockey lessons on the practice surface. Pylons, raised eyebrows, whistles and one monolith, tree-killing company. Hockey needs better partners.

The sky comes to mind.

Alain Crete asks Jacques and Joel what they think of the Kovalchuk move; Ill Ilya is now a New Jersey Devil after long seasons in Atlanta. Kovalchuk was offered a $100 million contract but elected to try the free market (as it were) and is now a key, (if not centrepiece) of a New Jersey Stanley Cup run.

You know, I’d pay for one afternoon lecture series by Lou Lamoriello (New Jersey’s enigmatic, iconoclastic and brilliant 23-year general manager).

Third Period
Montreal 3, Pittsburgh 2

Crosby is on the ice and then returns to the bench. We see a kid in a Montreal toque and a shot of Halak’s ridiculous flexibility. They ready for the resumption of action.

Puck drop. Zest line starts.

They are in and creating. Two guys in front of the net and one guy working behind. Pass is deflected.

Penguins try and assert themselves physically. They get a hit and lose the puck. Big man ratio. Useless tactic. If a hit can’t produce the puck, why hit? There is no good answer. At this level, it’s generally not worth the investment in fear. The bank of Intimidation doesn’t give good interest in the NHL.

Sloppy and hacked action. The sticks are out. One team wants to close, the other needs a reason. It makes both teams more tentative than in the first five minutes of the first.

Gill booms one off Fleury’s pads. Distance shot from outside the blue line.

Metropolit carries it in. drops it for Lapierre. High shot is gloved by Fleury. Wrister. Whistle.

Faceoff to Fleury’s right. Zest line is back on. They win the faceoff and beat the Penguins to three out of four pucks. Fourth ends up being iced and the line has graded out well yet again.

They leave the ice for the Metropolit line.

Martin is saying something. I was expecting the Gomez line.

In the corner. Lapierre keeps it. Bright, flinty work. When’s the last time I saw his board brilliance? I wish he would bring that every time. He still has the most electrifying on-the-boards sequence in post-lockout memory for me. It was in his first time up with the big club.

Scrum in the corner. Malkin reaches down and shoves a glove in Plekanec’ face. Rubs it around. Stops. Strides away. Plekanec doesn’t do much in response.

Faceoff is to Fleury’s right.

Plekanec loses it.

Penguins exit.

Whistle.

Faceoff to Halak’s right.

Action goes around the bowl into and out of Pittsburgh’s zone, behind both nets and both goalies come out to play the puck. Lines change and the puck remains in non-danger territory. That all ends when the Zest boys are back. Fleury is beaten and the puck slides under him and off the post. Houde is very animated.

Darche line is on.

Darche gets over the blue and fires from Lafleur range. Dunno how but it went in. Replay shows a short-side shot over Fleury’s shoulder.

Kirk Muller allows himself a brief smile.

Montreal 4, Pittsburgh 2

Bylsma asks Fleury to come out of the net. Brent Johnson, sporting the number one, enters the net. He’s an inch taller and about twenty pounds heavier than Fleury. And seven years older. Just sayin’.

Twelve minutes left in the game.

Ole, ole chant begins. This one is more full bowl but lasts as long as most of the Ole, Ole work has lasted this season. Not long. About five-seven seconds.

There is far less to marvel over this season. At least in terms of beautiful offensive hockey. The team’s work ethic is improved but not quite there yet.

Houde is amused by the appearance of Captain America in the audience and makes some crime-fighting comments.

Gomez line is on.

He has it on the circle. Swerves. Sends it down the boards.

Gionta keeps it in. Long sequence with decent puck play. Penguins get it out after about twenty seconds.

Darche. To Plekanec. Long shot from just inside the blue line.

We see a shot of the streets of Montreal outside the arena. There are people who are not concerned about this game. They are walking around in the dead cold, unconcerned about Mathieu Darche. And it looks very cold.

RDS viewers believe that Ovie will get more points than any other player in the Olympics tournament. Fifty-five percent to thirty-three for Crosby.

Faceoff is to Johnson’s right.

Plekanec wins it and gets it to the point. It’s sent in again but Pittsburgh comes up with it.

Malkin is down. Beautiful flick pass to the slot. I’m surprised no goal results. I wait and hope that this play is one that gets replayed. No. We get a shot of some suitless suits instead.

Stoppage. And we resume.

Canadiens score again.

Gionta. Pressure in the crease. Two players; Moen and Gionta. Two shots. Gionta’s goes over Johnson’s right leg as Gionta falls to one knee.

Montreal 5, Pittsburgh 2

Crosscheck is called. Craig Adams. Montreal power-play.

Gomez, Gionta and Plekanec are the first-wave trio. Markov and Spacek are on the blue line. Montreal is chased out early.

Gomez picks it up from Markov behind the net. Gallops forward. One pass and then a lob in. But the Canadiens can’t control.

Second wave.

And another interruption.

Crosby tries to mount an offensive. It’s stopped inside the blue line.

Canadiens get the puck under control. Trotter, Metropolit and Desharnais are on for the remainder. They control. Metropolit shows patience and then creativity as he retains the puck on an almost certain Pittsburgh clear. Five passes ensue but the penalty ends with no quality chances.

Sergei is on. Puck is blocked on the side boards. Kept in at the point. O’Byrne pinches. The stay is getting long and Pittsburgh is standing around. Canadiens can’t make them pay for the extended stay. Malkin gets a pass in the neutral zone and carries it in. He goes around the net. Buys the time he needs.

Guerin gets into it with White. A fight. Guerin gets toppled hard to the ice. Brunet says it’s an old-guard guy living up to an old-guard code. Brunet says it matter-of-factly.

Malkin is in the box when we return. White and Guerin are also done. Net result is a Montreal power-play says Houde.

Plekanec, Gionta and Gomez are on the first wave again.

Brooks Orpik takes a penalty. Such a useful player. Has the stare of a bully. Five-on-three.

Same wave. Spacek and Markov are on the blue line.

Gomez has it down low. The passes slow down. They’re looking for a one-timer but it can’t be coordinated. Pittsburgh knows it and defends accordingly.

Now the puck is forced out. Twenty-five seconds left in the five-on-three and three and a half left in the game.

Malkin gets a breakaway coming out of the box. Scores (use that anti-homer Cole tone).

Montreal 5, Pittsburgh 3

Metropolit line follows. Different strategy from recent games where Plekanec’ line would follow a goal against. Message or tactic?

Huge rebound. Halak makes his first great save of the night.

Just over two minutes left in the game. Whistles. Malkin is called. Brunet calls it a bad penalty.

Bylsma’s arms are crossed again.

Replay on the Halak save shows Gorges blocked the shot. I think.

Montreal goes to a sixth power-play (seventh Pittsburgh infraction).

Early retreat sees Markov start from behind the Montreal net.

Darche, Plekanec and Sergei Kostitsyn are on. They chant the good-bye song. Really, there’s nobody in the league to sing that to anymore. Except maybe Philly. The strong feelings just won’t be there unless Montreal plays and loses to or bitterly wins against the same team two or three times in a short period.

Canadiens can’t generate a good scoring chance.

The end boards should be rubberized in each rink or made of some safety-oriented material. And the nets should be moved up with the same consideration (they showed the Gionta goal where he slid into the boards following).

Blare horn and the game is over.

Montreal 5
Pittsburgh 3

HDS Stars: Brian Gionta, Ryan White, Mathieu Darche
RDS Stars: Brian Gionta, Mathieu Darche, David Desharnais

Related posts:

1. Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Gm 6) (Delayed Edition)
2. Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Gm 4)
3. Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Gm 2)
4. Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Gm 1)
5. Montreal Canadiens vs Philadelphia Flyers
6. Montreal Canadiens vs Ottawa Senators