Montreal Canadiens vs 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 (36-30-7) visit Buffalo Sabres (39-22-10)

Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Game Seventy-Four (score posted following scribbles)

Missed it? Musings capture the game in writing. Based on the RDS telecast, Musings take about 20 minutes to read. More detailed than an article, fresher than a looping highlight and good with morning coffee.

Marc-Andre Bergeron and Mike Cammalleri are both back in the lineup tonight after long absences.

Carey Price will start in net, also after a long absence.

Maxim Lapierre is a healthy scratch, Tom Pyatt replaces him. The scratch is deserved according to a few RDS people including Bob Hartley. The consensus is that he is not playing with enough intensity.

It’s hard for them to admit because Maxim is a bonne gar Quebecois but the truth is the truth and doing your best is more important than where you hail from.

Ryan Miller, the world’s best goaltender, is in net for Buffalo. I respect his abilities greatly but more and more I am losing respect for his demeanour. He seems more arrogant than is needed for this level of hockey.

Maybe when we go to interplanetary play, his level of hubris will be welcome. It’s a suspicion based on some observations. I will continue observing and if I’m proved wrong, will say so. Check back in the fall.

First Period

Cammalleri is on with Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn. Cammalleri places himself in the low slot. He is eager and more into the game than any of the rest of the on-ice players.

Plekanec rounds the net and sends a slick pass which Kostitsyn puts away high. Beautiful goal.

Montreal 1, Buffalo 0

Bergeron is on the ice now.

Faceoff to Price’s left. Price’s glove, blocker and pads are dominant white. Could be a new mask, as well.

Metropolit line is on. Canadiens are kept in for a six-second segment. Shot form the blue line. Price handles it.

Plekanec line is on. They get a brief presence.

Plekanec tries to lift a stick on the forecheck. He chases and watches the traffic move past him. Cammalleri is parallel to him as they chase it back into the Montreal zone.

Defencemen, like friendly, skilled and skinny elephants, move it out.

Gomez line is on. Pouliot and Gionta with him.

One possession. A second one. Longer. One puck to the slot. No sticks reply.

Buffalo responds with a brief three-second possession up high.

Sabres crowd is studious and the arena becomes a rink of echoes and gruff teammates.

Breakout pass by Hamrlik to Darche on the left but Darche falls. Lines change.

Dump-in by Buffalo.

Kaleta is turning on the forecheck but then the circle becomes more full as Buffalo follows with a change of their own.

Sabres are nearly compromised as Kostitsyn nearly moves his pen in to correct a Buffalo flaw. A pro-Hab quill. He nearly takes it off a careless Buffalo defender in the high slot.

Whistle moments later. Plain stoppage. No flags.

The pace has been brisk and workmanlike so far. Bergeron is on the wing with Metropolit and not on the blue line. It’s a way to ease Bergeron into regular play. Forwards have less pressure on them not to turn the puck over.

On the power-play, Bergeron will almost certainly be on the second wave.

Action is on the Montreal boards.

Buffalo manages the first sustained presence of either team with just under eleven minutes in the period. No shots but a puck-scramble crowd in the slot and some won puck battles under the end line.

Montreal moves it out after this nine-second interval.

Lines change.

Connelly is on.

Long shot form the Montreal blue. Easy. Rebound is there. A little harder. Price has both.

To the other end it goes quickly. Miller nabs an inconsequential rounder. Whistle.

Bean bag adjustment rage.

Sabres win the faceoff. One hand hustle and carry. Pyatt chases. He can’t do anything as all he sees is side and shoulder.

Sabres advance. Shot. Price stops it. Faceoff.

Canadiens lose another one. Gomez this time.

Under the end line, Buffalo wins two battles and sends it to the slot. No shot.

Canadiens rush. Wave and follow, whites and dark blues. Around the net. Pass to the slot. Gomez fans on an open net. Long shot follows. Nope to both.

Houde says you couldn’t ask for a better chance.

Buffalo takes it back for a one-shot stoppage.

They control off the faceoff. Behind the net. Around it. Backhand carry. Shot. Stopped.

Some disagreement. Arms and necks. Darche and Moore are involved. Moore is an insolent, disrespectful player. He is not a Montreal type. Get him off my team.

We resume for a short time. Connolly is down. Holding his face and face down.

Took a puck to the face. Kostitsyn was trying to clear it with a high lob. Connolly gets up pressing a cloth to his face and heads to the dressing room. He’s under his own steam and the contact appears to have been well below the eyes. Good. I wish more guys would wear those goldang visors.

We resume. Plekanec line.

Buffalo is beginning to take control. They get a wild transition rush; four Habs under our blue and all out of position. Price makes a very good save. Holds it.

We resume. Buffalo is a playoff team with serious business in mind. They’ve been playing like grown-ups for many years now and Montreal has to match.

I don’t like Moore but his competitiveness is something that will work well in a game like this one.

Two Sabres forecheck as the Canadiens work it out with short, chopped passes and hard skating to get to the nearest open space.

Long passing is a fantasy best forgotten against Buffalo.

Myers and Stafford work it under the Montreal end line and along the boards.

Moore leaves it for a defender. Up for Cammalleri on the right side to the neutral zone. Stick too high on a puck and we get a whistle.

Cammalleri’s return is good not just because of his offensive game but because he is the best influence on Andrei Kostitsyn this season. Cammalleri has found a way to earn the elder K’s trust.

We resume.

Faceoff at centre ice is won by Cammalleri. Hamrlik moves up to play it. Montreal is repulsed. Retrieval on their own blue line results in another push-out at the Buffalo blue.

Three on near-three for Montreal. Andrei K sends a shot long.

Out we go.

And back in. This time with Gomez. This line can’t get control. Pushed out.

Bergeron is pressing his coverage behind the Buffalo net. Gets support from Pyatt. They keep it in.

Pass to Gorges on the point. Sends it back in. Buffalo is now being stood up at their own blue line.

Whistle.

Brunet says that Price has done good work this period.

We resume. Puck is moved up along the right side boards in the neutral zone. Buffalo’s hue. Buffalo’s pride.

Miller might be a bit like Gannon. Similar countenance.

Stoppage. Icing on Montreal. Moore line. Moore wins the faceoff. Puck is dumped up and out.

Some dithering and Andrei K comes up with it in the neutral zone. Canadiens can’t keep it in. O’Byrne sees it go past him on the left.

Now Cammalleri is in chase mode deep.

Hecht exits and gets a backhander on Price. Stopped. Lines change and the puck leaves.

Montreal creates a scare. Puck is loose. Five players in the slot and crease. Shot up. No spaces. Whistle. Roy. Hooking.

Ruff’s arms are crossed and his face resembles Jaws’. From James Bond.

Bergeron is on the first wave. Twenty-two seconds left.

Shot is blocked before it reaches Miller and the puck is sent out. Price is out of his net and in the corner and plays it up for a teammate.

Montreal re-enters but there isn’t enough time to establish a possession.

Period ends.

Buffalo leads on shots 10-7.

First Intermission
Montreal 1, Buffalo 0

So, Viktor and Oleg, eh?

A La Une.

Tyler Myers discussion. Calder talk. Gagnon is smiling like Alton Brown. Crete is smiling Dave Hodge. They are a good pairing. Some Myers footage. Tall kid.

Surly. Great hands. He’s got a Staal bearing. Annoying. Sneer kinda guy.

We see a list of Calder candidates. Then a shot of Myers’ mug and some numbers.

He seems like the next Chris Pronger. There’s always a next one. When I was a kid I, for some uninformed reason, thought Prince Charles was the last of his kind. It didn’t occur to me that there would more. What a serial killer’s basement disappointment. It’s locked. I’m doomed.

We’ve traced the call, it’s coming from inside the house!

Grimmest sentence in modern history perhaps.

Some score updates follow. Gaborik scored his 38th. No more Bob to blame. Hope you’re happy.

Kariya got his 17th on a self-made breakaway and dribbling, five-hole put-in. He still has some magic.

Now Bob Hartley discusses the first goal and the first period. He compliments both teams’ defensive efforts so far. Joel says that Buffalo controlled their zone a bit better than Montreal. He says that Price has saved the team from some of its own-zone errors.

RDS asks its viewers which of two goaltenders deserves the Vezina trophy, awarded to the goaltender deemed most valuable to his team. It’s a subjective vote by the press, I believe. The choices are Ryan Miller and Phoenix’ Ilya Bryzgalov.

You know my choice.

Varlamov is the best of the young bunch coming up. Fleury is good and so are Price and Halak but Varlamov is physically better than all of them. Now can he put it all together?

Simeon Varlamov of the Washington Capitals.

Luc Gelinas interviews Mike Cammalleri.

Cammalleri said the first period felt good. He references a short conversation with Andrei K. He reviews the scoring shift. Cammalleri is a guy who is comfortable and used to sharing his opinion with others.

Takes one to know one.

Second Period
Montreal 1, Buffalo 0

We are told that this is Andrei K’s first goal since December 28th. Are you kidding? Man. Well, good that Cammalleri is back despite the Plekanec assist on it. Having a good third forward means the defence has to pay attention to an extra player and can’t double AK46. Life just got easier.

We resume.

Canadiens entry. Ninety seconds left in the power-play.

Shot from the side of the net. Canadiens keep it in.

Now Markov is pushed out by Grier. Houde says that Grier is excellent on the penalty-kill. Canadiens have to regroup.

Grier is black.

Now what if I said that Moore was white every time he carried. Which one would seem more odd to you?

We are back in.

In the corner.

Gomez is in the Gretzky area. Metropolit and he share the puck. Now Gionta sends a great pass to Hamrlik swooping in. Well, cruising in. Lydman defended it well. Penalty ends. Great vision from Gionta.

Sabres take another penalty. Accidental high stick?

Houde mentions Buffalo’s line of agitators. Adam Mair is called. Cross-check. Ruff expresses brief disillusion but stops in mid-expression.

Faceoff is to Miller’s right.

Plekanec is the first wave leader.

Cammalleri gets a surprise puck from the mid-slot and can’t enough on it.

Canadiens have to retrieve.

Some passes along the blue line. Cammalleri gets a chance from the right circle. Fans. Can’t get the stick fully on it.

Gomez now has it on the hash.

Advances. Shot and a deflection. Hits Miller. Rebound. Banged at. Smothered. Gionta comes in for an additional post-whistle jab. Sabres see who it is and they let him get away with it.

Another player would have gotten decked. You decide which kind of player.

Being a respected veteran helps but it isn’t all.

Penalty ends.

Too many men against Buffalo now.

Vanek will serve it. First wave. Cammalleri.

To the blue. Shot. Something happens. Shot. It’s in. How. Andrei Kostitsyn.

Replay. Pass from the hash to the off-slot inner circle.

Montreal 2, Buffalo 0

Moore line follows. Cammalleri is sitting beside Kostitsyn on the bench. A little respect and smart psychology goes a long way.

Moore moves in stickless and moves the puck in with just his skates. One of the more impressive plays of the season. From the neutral zone and just to the faceoff dot, kicking the puck with both skates all the while. Copper-scratch determination.

And he draws a slashing. Ruff goes off a bit. It’s more a message for his team than for the refs. He is frustrated at the scoreboard and with his team’s slight loosening of the game’s momentum.

Plekanec is on the first wave.

Buffalo exits. Two on-two but it ends on the side-boards.

Montreal moves down the right side. Cammalleri. To the point. Bergeron sends a wrister. Miller gets low and stops it.

Faceoff. Second wave. Gionta line.

Gionta goes to the net. Miller can’t control it. Gomez can’t sight-line the rebound.

Out and then back in.

Metropolit is on the hash. To Spacek on the point.

To Gomez on the same point.

Puck stays high.

Shot goes behind the net. Montreal keeps it in. Ten seconds. More passing. Spacek’s shot is high.

One more chance. To the point for Hamrlik. Shot. Blocked.

More shots. Penalty ends. Another sequence.

Gionta is down, sitting with his stick out and jostling. Jouster in the flat-ice saddle. Miller and a down Sabre combine to end the threat. Whistle.

Prong and bounce off the end-boards. Puck dingles dangerously to the slot. But Buffalo is in position and they move it out.

Sergei sudden. Rush down the right. Perfect slow-down and pass. Crack-shot. How did that get stopped. Rebound is missed.

Buffalo charges out on a rush of their own. Price is up amongst the mush and yell. Stops it.

Pace increases. Buffalo tries some longer passes. They are intercepted.

AK46 moves in on the right. Beautiful setup but Plekanec doesn’t get enough on it. Houde and Brunet says that Miller is saving Buffalo’s eggs now. He got across. But a harder shot by Plekanec would have gotten a twine-twang.

Stoppage.

We resume. Buffalo effects a five-second incursion. Montreal responds and we see line changes through the next eleven seconds. And then icing by Montreal. Really just a pass that went a bit long.

Faceoff is to Carey’s right. I’m tired of saying that diggin’ game-show phrase.

Barker is a major creep, too. Isn’t he dead yet? No resembly required.

Gill takes up the puck curling backhanded behind his net. Loses it.

Price is working and making more good saves.

Gill clears the most recent of three. Last one was mild.

Moore chases it into the corner. Pyatt is on with him. They leave the ice as the puck ends up on O’Byrne’s stick on the Montreal blue.

Canadiens enter offside.

Houde said earlier that this game could easily be four or five nothing for Montreal. It’s true and this despite the fact that Buffalo has stayed even with Montreal on the ice. The difference is the power-play. But in the past five minutes, Buffalo has given up more space than in the first.

Kaleta tries a slow wrap-around side-shot. Coverage is there. And Price got over.

Gomez line is on.

Just over seven minutes in the period. Delayed call. It will be against Montreal. Habs touch the puck and the call is announced. Price played the puck in an area not permitted for goalies. That trapezoid in the corner. Puck hit his skate.

Refs are permitted precision on this type of call but stand around and watch fights. Lug-culture league and an embarrassment to our otherwise cool country. Well, there are a few other uncool things.

Canadiens ruin the first twenty seconds of the Buffalo power-play.

Puck goes out of play as the Sabres move in.

Faceoff to Price’s left.

Canadiens win it but a mild effort from Sergei on the sideboards results in a keep-in.

ON the other side we see better and Buffalo is forced to regroup. They re-enter with forty seconds left in the man-advantage and are sent out seconds later.

Hecht comes in on the left side now and sends a high shot gloved by Price.

Faceoff.

Canadiens muck about and get enough control of the puck to move it out. Penalty ends.

Vanek enters and fires from Lafleur range. Nope.

Cammalleri is in. Down the middle. Moore and Sergei are on with him. Interesting. I think it’s a line-change morph presence.

Metropolit is next. Pouliot and Andrei are there, too. Viard.

They work and make circles and curves that make me think of dramatic goals. But Buffalo stays on it.

Action gets ragged. Delayed call. A Hab falls.

Commercial. And a brief shot of some Buffalo wings. They invented them. What’s next, though? Buffalo asparagus, perhaps.

Just think of all the cool undiscovered vegetables being mowed down and lost by McDonald’s as they mow down land for their bovines to destroy.

We must be the joke species of the galaxy. How embarrassing.

Pouliot got a stick into Rivet’s face.

Just over three minutes in the period.

Vanek and Roy are on with Pominville. They work the boards. Swift players who work for openings even during a power-play.

Markov stops a player on the boards. Forks the puck up to Gionta. Gionta accelerates and gets separation between two Sabres. Alone. In close. Deke; right left, backhand.

Miller. Great save.

It’s a four-minute infraction because Pouliot drew blood.

Buffalo resumes control. They get a great gawping chance. Price gets over. Sticks can’t connect.

Now the play ends and Gill is knocked down and into the net. Price asks if he’s ok and Gill nods “yeah”.

Faceoff to Price’s left. Moore wins it. It’s shoveled. And exited.

Buffalo re-enters on the left.

Sergei and Moore are the pairing. Another stoppage. Price makes another solid stop.

Montreal has two excellent goalies. Either way, the team wins. But there will be a trade. And it will be a big deal.

We resume and Montreal is clearing again. Roy is still on.

They work the puck on the perimeter. Gionta slides to block a puck in the messy slot.

Siren goes to end the period. It’s gotten a bit sloppy.

Buffalo led 14-12 on shots. Total of 24-19.

Second Intermission
Montreal 2, Buffalo

Should be, could be about 7-4 for Montreal. Goalies. Miller and the apprentice.

No, not Abe Vigoda.

Joel shows us some good examples of lane work and defensive support from forwards. Sergei is playing well, overall.

Joel says that, currently, Halak is the number one and that Price is a developing young goaltender. He adds that he knows for a fact that Halak is the starting goaltender for tomorrow night. He says that barring a complete meltdown by Halak in this final segment of regular season games (Montreal has nine games left before the playoffs), that Halak will be the team’s number one goalie.

And that all makes sense.

Bouchard did say that Price is playing well tonight.

Third Period
Montreal 2, Buffalo 0

Pouliot is in the shame box. Are teachers still allowed to make kids stand in the corner? I can think of a few corners for some of our bigger national failures. I’d send Superfly in there after them, as well. Mash em. Snuka.

Sergei pushes it out. Keeps it against coverage. Centres it for Moore. It’s off a bit.

Plekanec exits now. Slapshot with coverage is high. Puck goes out of play. Three scoring chances are all Montreal’s

Canadiens are playing with the application that was missing on Monday.

Penalty ends.

Cammalleri works it up to Kostitsyn. He loses it just outside the Montreal blue line.

Andrei plays with his head up and watches as Cammalleri effects an entry. Kostitsyn supports. Cammalleri nearly finds him in the slot but the action stays on the perimeter.

Gomez line is on now.

They are struggling. Particularly Gomez and Pouliot. Gionta is still finding spots, still getting goals. Pouliot looks as if he’s playing hurt. Not as fast as normal. That great skating stride is off.

Buffalo’s lines, no matter which one is on, can’t match the Canadiens for tenacity. The Canadiens are playing glove hockey. Five fingers make fearful ivory; a poacher’s grim clutch sweat.

Pouliot enters on the left. High shot goes off the edge of Miller’s puck. He doesn’t know where it for about three seconds.

Sabres pick it up.

Sabres are behind the puck. Chase and chase. Without Lapierre, our fourth line can actually win shifts.

Grier line is on. They work underneath. Two and two. O’Byrne and Moore.

O’Byrne hits someone. Net goes off. Whistle. Price takes off his mask for a moment. Stands there like Moon Knight, cowl-less. Some disagreement between players. Refs keep it to the terse business oval level.

Lines change.

Faceoff. Price’s right. Fine.

Moore takes over the puck on the circle. Moore has had an excellent game. I still don’t have to like his personality. Kerwin Bell was an unpleasant sort. But I never doubted his ability to pass the football. Same with your buddy Marino.

The unsavoury and the skilled. New from Marvel.

Pause.

Miller has made twenty saves tonight, we are told. About nine goal-stoppers in there. Maybe eleven. Average game has about, what, six?

Six certain goal chances per game. Certain even with a goalie. But the goalie does something out of the ordinary. Maybe it’s four. And the other two are eights rather than nines.

Sergei takes himself offside.

Just over twelve minutes left in the game.

Spacek and Hamrlik are on. Gomez line with them.

Canadiens skate hard from shift to shift. First ten minutes are a PDF handout on hockey coverage.

Moore. Darche. Pyatt. Kostitsyn. Gomez. All of them. Cohesion.

Cammalleri; how much of a factor is he in this cohesion, this sense of urgency?

Sabres haven’t given up. It isn’t something they’re allowed to do. Now the Canadiens exertion of will begins to show itself in Buffalo fatigue. Canadiens create a side-net chance and then force Buffalo to desperately (semi-desperately) ice it.

Faceoff to Miller’s left.

Canadiens have to go back and chase it. Sabres change lines.

Cammalleri is skating with first period enthusiasm. Nothing like an injury and break from the game to remind one how much ones loves playing.

Plekanec sends a long shot in. Gionta can’t get at the rebound.

Gomez is chasing in the corner. Creates a turnover. But can’t keep his balance and the puck. Buffalo resets.

Montador is stopped by Moore outside the Buffalo blue. Darche and Sergei work the boards. Someone’s hand touches the puck and it’s called. Just a stoppage.

Ryan Miller wins the RDS vote 55 to 45 percent.

Faceoff outside the Buffalo blue is won by Moore. Puck goes out play soon afterward.

Centre ice faceoff. Buffalo recovers the disc. Send-in is intercepted by Hamrlik on his right.

Slow three on-two by Buffalo, led by Tallinder, is joined by a Montreal back-checker and a mild shot results.

Hooking is called seconds later.

Sergei Kostitsyn.

Tallinder is examined on the bench. He’s ok.

Six and a half minutes left.

Buffalo sets up. Gionta clears it after an ugly shot by Buffalo. Distance, hairy legs, smelly kilts and creepy shadows.

Montreal continues to harass the Buffalo power-play gentlemen. Gomez this time is on the forecheck and working well.

Late in the power-play, Buffalo seems to hit a post following a circle-scrum and puck dance. Houde seems to think it hit the post.

Penalty ends. Sergei was alone and free but Moore didn’t see him, says Houde.

Grier enters stickhandling quickly on the left.

Two-on-one response. Sergei with Moore. Sergei keeps. Off-wing. Shot. Miller is there, angles, grey doom grille and glare. He is low and he says stop.

Faceoff.

Miller’s left. Plekanec sends it to the boards. Andrei loses it but gets Montador to fall. Miller makes a save and then holds Plekanec to keep him from leaving the area. Canadiens keep it in.

Whistle. Kennedy was hit. Blood. Stick. Called.

Gionta.

Another short-handed situation. And it was O’Byrne, not Gionta.

Gionta and Gomez are the first pairing. Puck escapes the Sabres and they have to regroup. They re-enter. Vanek shoots from about 38 feet. Price stops it goin’ low. Holds on.

I love these all-white pads on Price.

Ruff calls a time-out. Grief, Pominville and Roy are listening and looking; whiteboard. Dry-erase markers. WE assume they’re dry-erase.

Faceoff is to Price’s left.

What if we kept both goalies?

Shot off the faceoff. Buffalo is exited. Just under three minutes. Ruff pulls Miller for the extra attacker; six on four.

Buffalo keeps it in. Moore and Sergei are the kill pairing. Sabres keep working around the perimeter. Finally a shot. Hits legs.

Another shot. Rebound. To the side. Two Sabres. Big net. Two sticks. One shot. Bright white.

Buffalo scores.

Tim Connolly.

Montreal 2, Buffalo 1

Canadiens win the faceoff. Miller is back in.

Buffalo has the puck now. Miller leaves the ice again.

Six-on-five.

Montreal sends it out once. It’s back in. On the boards. Cammalleri beats three Sabres to the puck. Finally loses it. Price makes an incredible save.

Scrambling. Mad work by Cammalleri. Cheating too with the glove. Sabres are back. Another great save. Rebound. Punched in.

Arena is rollicking.

Buffalo 2, Montreal 2

Forty seconds left.

Crowd is alive.

Sabres are back in. Darche helps move it out. Period ends.

Houde says that it’s a bad end to a perfect game. We will go to overtime. Brunet mentions the incredible save again.

Ruff’s silver and black suit combo is sharp as a Sony.

Buffalo leads 17-8 on shots. And 41-27 for the game.

Overtime
Buffalo 2, Montreal 2

Four-on-four.

Gomez and Gionta are on.

Markov and Gorges with them. Early entry. Pinching. And out.

Markov sends someone into the net. Interference.

Epouvantable says Houde.

Ugly.

Gill and Moore. Sabres hit the post.

It continues. Long shot deflects to Price’s right. Hamrlik clears it.

Sabres re-enter. Vanek down the right side. Sends it up to the corner but it’s intercepted by Plekanec who clears it. Just under a minute in the penalty.

Buffalo is back in and passing around the perimeter.

Shot. Cleared by O’Byrne from the slot. Nicely chosen shot point.

Buffalo is back to their search and destroy mission. Fifteen seconds in the penalty

Under to Roy at the circle. Shot and save.

Pominville shoots from the point now. Goes out of play. That shot hit the crossbar.

Penalty ends.

Faceoff. Buffalo wins but Montreal survives. Markov is back.

Cammalleri and Plekanec are together. Markov is up in the corner. Loses it. Tries to lift an enemy stick. Misses everything. Coverage is there.

Just over a minute. Tim Kennedy nearly connects on a pass. Roman Hamrlik takes it.

Now Gomez. Enters. Loses it right at the blue line.

Gionta and Gomez are still on.

Gionta’s shot goes high.

Thirty seconds.

How much do they have left/

Sergei is in. To Gionta inside. Backhand. Stays in.

At the buzzer Markov whacks at it.

Some animosity to close the period.

Sergei can fight. Not everyone knows it. But he can and will if provoked.

Shootout is next.

Shootout
Montreal 2, Buffalo 2

That rising, raspy truck voice accompanied by heroic strains in Ford commercials is not convincing me at all. As if buying a Ford will end cancer. And crowds shall cheer and Donkey Kong lies dead. La, Laa, Laaa-aah!

Go solar already. Pantaloon cash arrogance.

First shooter. We await.

Pominville.

He shoots right and wears number 29. Stafford and Vanek will follow.

Pominville shoots and scores.

Price’s specialty once upon a time was the shootout.

Andrei Kostitsyn.

Shoots it high. Buffalo leads 1-0.

Stafford. Advances. Curls in. Fakes the shot. Head drop. Fails.

Cammalleri.

Some pretty moves but Miller just gets a pad on it.

Vanek. Score and it’s over. He is whistled. Started too early. Booing. Fades.

We go for real this time. Vanek shoots and scores.

Price is off the ice quickly and in anger. Markov reassures him and follows him into the tunnel.

Brunet says it was perfect hockey (for Montreal until the last two minutes) and a tough way to lose.

Brunet says this was a game or a loss that can be built on based on how well the team played.

Buffalo 3
Montreal 2 SO

HDS Stars: Ryan Miller, Carey Price, Andrei Kostitsyn
RDS Stars: Ryan Miller, Andrei Kostitsyn, Tim Connolly

Connolly had nine shots on goal, we are told. Next game is tomorrow evening against Florida.

Related posts:

1. Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres
2. Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres
3. Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres
4. Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres
5. Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres
6. Montreal Canadiens versus Buffalo Sabres