Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
April 10, 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 (39-33-9) host Toronto Maple Leafs (29-38-10)
Saturday, April 10th, 2010
Game Eighty-Two (score posted following scribbles)
Missed it? Musings capture the game in writing. A written transcript typed during the game, posted and edited about thirty minutes afterward. Based on the RDS French telecast of the Montreal Canadiens game, Musings take about 20 minutes to read. More detailed than an article, fresher than a looping highlight and good with morning coffee. Or late-night chocolate. A unique way to re-experience the game.
Alain Crete and Pierre Houde salute Jacques Demers. It’s Demers’ last regular season game on RDS. Ever. He seems moved by the recognition. He moves on quickly to the hockey talk after thanking everyone. He may cry otherwise.
Joel Bouchard, seated beside Jacques and Alain, says that Montreal’s identity is not in intimidation of other players; sending fear coursing through the opponents’ being. Rather, it is forechecking, opportunistic scoring and the power-play. Those are the things that allowed Montreal their wins this season and they are the elements the team must focus on.
A loss tonight can lead to missing the playoffs but only if the Rangers win in overtime or in a shootout against Philadelphia, tomorrow. The shootout occurs if teams are scoreless after an overtime period. Overtime occurs in the event of a regulation time tie.
A point by Montreal tonight (a point is automatically awarded to both teams in the case of regulation tie regardless of the overtime outcome) guarantees them a playoff spot.
Tonight’s game is Montreal’s 82nd and last of the regular season.
The introductions are made, Acceuillons Vos Canadiens! Starting lineups are announced. Teams step on to the ice and skate around in their respective ends waiting for the formalities to cease. The arena is darkened and spotlights sweep the seemingly greyish blue ice surface. The final spotlight settles on the Montreal cage where Jaroslav Halak is in position, hunched over.
Charles Prevost-Linton sings the anthem. The Canadian one.
I find myself wondering which of these players won’t be with the team next season. I estimate five players will move on.
Mathieu Darche is in the lineup tonight and I am happy about it.
Bell Central announcer acknowledges, in French and English over the PA system, Dan Marouelli’s milestone game. This is his last game tonight. He’s reffed 1622 games.
Jean-Sebastien Giguere is in net for Toronto.
First Period
Montreal’s Tomas Plekanec line is on first. Former Calgary Flame Mike Cammalleri is with him and Andrei Kostitsyn. So we’re back to the regular alignment after seeing the cowboys on one line last game (Gomez, Gionta and Cammalleri). In this case, I’m happy to be an Indian. Especially since Gomez could easily be from Karachi. Look at him some time.
Early action remains in the neutral zone.
Former Canadien Mikhail Grabovski picks up a puck in the neutral zone and takes a Leaf with him as he advances to the lip of the crease. His control isn’t there and Halak is able to cover it up.
Faceoff to Halak’s left is won by Montreal and big winger Benoit Pouliot is the beneficiary. He carries it through the middle and into Toronto ice but turns it over.
Toronto presses and they issue a decent shot which Halak has to kick save. Or as close to a kick-save as today’s technique allows.
Plekanec line is back on the ice with two and a half minutes elapsed. Plekanec fails to pick it up behind the Toronto net but manages to swat it up the boards to the point. The puck leaves the zone but is back in with the Gomez line chasing it.
Crowd is yelling “Dion, Dion”. They are mocking the league’s most overrated player as selected by his peers, the lumbering former Calgary Flame, Dion Phaneuf.
Stoppage soon after a Gomez two on one. He elects to keep it and shoot short-side. Close. Faceoff.
Canadiens win it. Dominic Moore line. Travis Moen is with him. They generate a long shot and then the Leafs ice it.
Houde says this is a good opportunity for the Canadiens. Icing requires the icing team to keep the same players on the ice which can sometimes be taken advantage of; the theory is that the players might be at the end of a shift and thus tired out.
Leafs move it out and manage a line change, however.
Kessel line is on for Toronto next. Brief send-in ends for Toronto and Montreal is working with vigour deep in Toronto ice. Plekanec is showing most of the lemon.
Andrei K attempts to support but is unable to come up with the puck.
Gomez line is on.
They lose the puck on the Leaf boards. Montreal retrieves. Hamrlik up to the right side for Gomez. Entry. Shot. Wide and high. Wild shot. (Walton)
Work continues. Montreal defenceman Andrei Markov comes up to support. Passes to Pouliot. Puck goes behind the net. Markov is parked at the side of the net. Puck gets to him. He backhands it. Goes off a skate. Odd. And in.
Montreal 1, Toronto 0
Crowd is feeling good.
Maxim Lapierre line follows for Montreal. Rugged Travis Moen and the grating Dominic Moore are with him. So this new line remains from last game. Two centres (Lapierre and Moore).
Lapierre’s work keeps Toronto hemmed in for about six seconds.
Leafs respond with good skating, puck pursuit and overall moxie. Leafs’ Colton Orr has it deep. To the point. Carl Gunnarsson shoots it way wide. Canadiens chase it. They seem to stay ahead of the Leafs on the boards but a sudden pass goes to the shot. Montreal is fortunate that a shot didn’t result.
Finally the Canadiens clear it out and get a partial change. Hamrlik is still on.
Cammalleri is on. Chasing. Leaves it for Andrei K. Turnover. Toronto clears. Hamrlik retrieves.
Gomez hops on. Andrei K is still stuck.
Puck is sent down to Montreal ice.
Halak makes an error at the side of his net and the red light goes on immediately. Reached with one hand and Toronto forward Christian Hanson batted it in. Good opportunism. It’s his first goal of the season. He had one goal last season in five games with the big club, Pierre informs us. Little club would be the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League; Toronto’s minor league affiliate or farm team.
Toronto 1, Montreal 1
Game is clean and purposeful with plenty of speed and a good number of short passes. Both teams are playing their respective games. Just over ten minutes left and we have a puck out of play.
Finger is not in the lineup defensively for the Leafs tonight. Jeff Finger. Brunet says that the Leaf defensive corps is rather spectacular.
Montreal wins the faceoff and enter offside. Toronto head coach Ron Wilson looks like he’s quietly suffering acid reflux.
Moore line is on. They work the boards. Toronto’s Garnet Exelby wins his board battle with some hustle and good positioning and sends a lead pass to the Montreal blue line but Toronto enters offside.
Plekanec loses the faceoff and Halak stops a long shot from outside the blue line. Chest level.
Canadiens are back in. Andrei Kostitsyn loses his third one-on-one battle. Cammalleri won his. Canadiens have to regroup.
Gomez is in on a pass from Markov; down the left side. Puck rounds the bowl and the Leafs are charging the other way. Left side. But a turnover.
Leafs retrieve. Defensive pair Luke Schenn and Tomas Kaberle share the puck then it’s passed up.
Canadiens speed is showing; Leafs are losing the transition game.
Another Leaf exit is ended by the Canadiens.
Moen line leaves.
Just under eight minutes left.
Plekanec is sent in on the left. Crowd gets loud. He shoots. Save. Light wrister from about twelve feet out.
Moments later, Plekanec is called for cross-checking.
Toronto goes to the power-play. Flow is just as crisp and fast as in the first six minutes but a power-play could change the tenor. Might remove the ‘crisp’ part.
Plekanec slammed Exelby into the boards in the corner to Giguere’s right. Brunet says he likes seeing Plekanec showing more aggression in his game. But I don’t like the location of the hit. Dangerous play by Plekanec. Hit Exelby from behind, two hands on the stick.
Leafs get a brief possession but the Canadiens create the first good chance. Two shots from the mid-slot.
And then short-handed, Moore is down the right side and Pyatt supports enough to get a line change and kill another ten seconds.
Viktor Stalberg is in on the left side. Keeps it. Rounds the net. Sends a pass high. Action moves to the right side of the goalie. Halak has to go to his knees and spread out a bit. He smothers the chance.
Faceoff to Halak’s right is won by Moore and cleared almost immediately by speedy Tom Pyatt.
Leafs re-enter and there are ten seconds left to work with.
They have it in the corner. Plekanec is back. Leafs lose the puck. Plekanec sends a pass cross-ice from just inside the Toronto blue line. Turn and look pass. Smooth swivel.
Long pass goes too far and the Canadiens are called for icing. Bergeron hadn’t crossed the centre line. Faceoff to Halak’s right follows.
Plekanec loses it. Puck stays about four feet behind the circle and players flounder to reach it. It’s batted forward to the back boards. Leafs are able to dig under the end line for a few seconds but are forced out.
Puck is back in quickly. But a high stick is called against Toronto as the players battle under the end line to Halak’s right.
A guy can take up a career in pro sports and ignore the world for the rest of his life, conceivably. Many pros do. Mercedes comfort. Hey, yeah it’s appealing.
High stick was accidental. Attempt to lift Lapierre’s stick goes wrong.
Canadiens establish early control. Puck gets to Gionta at the crease. He has to whack it down first and the delay … is inconsequential. He whams it home. Scorer’s goal. From an initial set-up by Markov.
Montreal 2, Toronto 1
A quick two-on-one follows for Montreal. Gomez’ backhand fails.
Action flows to the Montreal end where a faceoff takes place soon afterward to Halak’s left.
Brunet says that Phaneuf blew the coverage in the slot.
Canadiens win the faceoff and pursue the puck into Toronto ice. Plekanec is tripped. It’s called.
Montreal power-play.
Replay shows that Phaneuf may not have been responsible.
First wave is Gomez, Gionta and Pouliot with Markov and Bergeron on the blue line.
Wayne Primeau (brother of the floater) and Fredrik Sjostrom are the first pairing for Toronto.
Canadiens move the puck well but Toronto’s coverage is good. Two forwards move and extend the diamond. Faceoff.
Next possession is similar. And another faceoff.
With just over a minute in the power-play the Canadiens win this faceoff as well and complete four passes and get one good shot. Toronto clears.
Montreal resets. Hamrlik and Spacek are on the blue with Gomez’ line as the attackers. They move the puck. Shot from the short side from Gomez can’t get a bounce as Giguere stops it and keeps it.
Schenn clears off the next faceoff. Twenty seconds. Canadiens enter. Right side. Gomez. Underneath for Pouliot. Back to Gomez. To Markov. Back to Gomez. A beautiful open net is missed by Pouliot. Haven’t seen a segment like that all season. Team offence is gelling a bit more. Markov’s pass to Gomez was to an advancing Gomez at the opposite circle and then his pass was to the gawping slot. Memories of an Artist.
Siren goes with much more danger for Toronto.
Canadiens lead on shots 14-8. And their offensive tenacity increased in terms of puck pursuit as the period closed. Which really just means that Andrei K started to get more interested.
First Intermission
Montreal 2, Toronto 1
Crete appears to have a small Liberace puff to his hair tonight. And I’m jealous of his cream-silver tie. Both Alain and Francois Gagnon are wearing charcoal suits. Gagnon’s suit is darker and he particularly reminds me of Saku Koivu tonight. They could be nephew-uncle.
Gagnon discusses Kovalev. The chuckling continues. Gagnon is very amused. Kovalev will miss the playoffs due to his recent injury.
Some Brad Richards discussion now. Good numbers are shown and Gagnon says that Richards’ fine offensive season with Dallas Stars has gone under the radar. (Wouldn’t beyond the radar make more sense? Hey, I’m no mariner.)
Renaud Lavoie interviews Benoit Pouliot. Pouliot has a new haircut. Maybe Crete does, too. Lavoie asks Pouliot about not watching the tv [Why must we capitalize television, anyway? Am I in charge? Or is the blasted television?] tomorrow (Rangers play). Pouliot says no he will not be watching whether or not Montreal needs help to get in the playoffs.
Brunet reviews the three first-period goals. He says what a magic touch Gionta has.
Second Period
Montreal 2, Toronto 1
Quick whistle following the faceoff and a puck send-down to Halak’s right. Plekanec wins the faceoff. Moves out with it. Across to Kostitsyn. Long pass from Kostitsyn. Nope.
Attack continues. Long shot. Deflects. Canadiens struggle to keep it in up top. Forced out. And back in.
Gomez line is on. Gomez keeps it along the boards moving up towards the Toronto blue from deep. What a sentence, eh.
Toronto clears. Icing. Another tres long presence dit Pierre Houde. Yup. Let’s see.
Lapierre is taking this faceoff. Grabovski has to leave the circle. Moen captures it.
Puck trickles up to the blue line. Two Leafs and Josh Gorges.
Gorges keeps it in once. Fails the second time.
Leafs move it out. Whistle follows after a mild incursion by the visitors.
Faceoff. To Halak’s right.
Plekanec wins it. Sends it to his left. Puck is in Toronto control moments later as their defenceman pass it in their own zone. Plekanec line is on again.
Cammalleri has it. Turns. Turns again. All behind the net. Finds Andrei K in the slot. Andrei K looked unready for the pass. He bungles with it like a janitor trying to sweep a live mouse.
I’m too annoyed to type for a few seconds and I miss chronicling a faceoff and a fifteen second shotless period for both teams.
Puck is behind Halak. Puck can’t be worked out.
Gionta didn’t see Beauchemin and is knocked down. Not too heavily. In the Montreal slot.
Pyatt and Gionta get a near two-on-one. Pyatt nearly centres it. But it hits a stick.
They keep it in play. Pyatt gets another chance with it. Sends it nicely through the slot.
No sticks reply.
Houde says that it was a good shift for the line as they leave and Cammalleri is back on. Moore, Moen and Cammalleri are on together. Cammalleri is taken down. Now Moore is taken down too. Can’t tell. Crowd is booing lightly.
Whistle. Halak gloved it.
Some scrumming. Trainers are looking at Moen.
The scrumming is mild and ends soon. Still some jawing.
We see a replay showing that Moore was hitting someone in the Toronto slot. High on the back with his glove and stick.
Toronto’s Colton Orr is shown sitting in the penalty box for roughing.
Faceoff is to Giguere’s left. Toronto wins it and clears.
Gomez line is the first wave. Bergeron and Markov are the defensive pairing. They can’t complete more than one pass and Toronto clears again.
Gomez is cruising down the left side over the Toronto blue line. Sends it across to the other side for Gionta. Gionta keeps for a second and a half and wrists one. Giguere stops it squared.
Toronto exits off the next faceoff. Two on two. Hansen shoots. Off the post.
Canadiens regroup. Bergeron. To Plekanec just outside the Montreal blue line. Canadiens set it all up. Thirty seconds left in the penalty. Cammalleri’s pass from over the circle hops over Plekanec’ stick at the side of the net. Puck leaves and when the Canadiens re-enter, they go offside.
Gomez line. Gomez wins it against Kulemin. Colton Orr is back in the game. He skates over the blue line. Sends a puck to the slot. Dangerous but no shot.
Toronto is able to control on their blue line.
Gomez leads a response. Left side. To Moen fifteen feet to his right. Can’t get a shot.
Just under eleven minutes left in the period.
Moen is chasing. Leafs can’t keep up with it. Lapierre grabs it on the Toronto blue line but turns it over immediately. Just a short dump to nobody. More of a line-change play.
Crowd is chanting Dion, Dion again.
Darche and Lapierre can’t keep it in Toronto ice.
Gomez is in suddenly on a reset. Speed and shear. He sprays snow, stopping in just the right spot. Waits a second. Passes it. Shot. Rebound. Big one. Missed.
Whistle soon afterward.
Gomez is smiling with someone as he circles waiting for the faceoff. Brunet says that Gomez is playing inspired hockey these days. True. And he will be a big player for Montreal in the playoffs. Remember what he was like in New Jersey? You will see it again.
Quick whistle.
Faceoff to Halak’s right. Plekanec this time. Bozak leaves the circle and Kulemin replaces him and wins the faceoff. To the point. Leafs pass once, twice and then turn it over from the blue line.
Canadiens can’t keep it and Andrei K is skating underwater again.
Puck is behind the Montreal net. It moves quickly to the undercircle. Bozak beats Hamrlik underneath the end line, skates past Spacek, curls to the circle and backhands a pass to the opposite under-circle. Great play.
Stalberg fires it in. Fires.
Toronto 2, Montreal 2
No, I’m not going soft on Toronto. They’re playing well. And what I think I’m seeing, I’ll think and write.
Halak freezes a puck and six guys have a discussion behind the net. Not much else.
We resume and Montreal has a longer possession. Gomez. Gionta. Bergeron. Pouliot. Markov. All of them do something constructive to keep the puck in Montreal possession. With two Toronto interruptions, Montreal is able to control for about fifteen seconds.
Leafs get it out.
But Plekanec is sent in by Cammalleri. Accelerates. Chased. Goes to the backhand. Shot dribbles wide.
But he backhands it straight back. Nobody at the slot. Nobody at the blue line.
Action continues.
And it ends with mostly perimeter work and a puck sludged in Toronto ice.
Whistle.
Moen is being targeted again. Brunet says that whenever Toronto’s Colton Orr is on the ice, some sort of nonsense goes on. Houde responds that when Montreal’s Lapierre, Moen and Moore on, it should be no surprise. All are on the ice as the officials quell things.
Stoppage.
Tomorrow’s Rangers-Flyers game is on RDS tomorrow at 3:00PM EST. It becomes important if Montreal loses in regulation as I’d said. Hope on a couch.
Leafs are called. Gomez line is first. Pouliot rounds the net after Montreal wins the faceoff. He has it. Looks. Passes. A shot finally results. Giguere stops it and holds it for a faceoff.
We resume.
Markov to Bergeron. Hard shot. Deflects wide.
More passing. Bergeron tings one off the post.
One minute in the power-play.
Leafs clear twice. Second one is all the way down the rink.
Plekanec line is on.
They have trouble getting it in and I yell at one of our players. I’m sure he can’t hear me. He can barely concentrate on the puck. Someone should get him a coffee before each game. I’m sure you can guess who.
Leafs kill the rest. Andrei Kostitsyn should be benched til late in the third.
Stalberg is in on the left side. Beats his man. Nearly stuffs it in on the short side but the net goes off its moorings. And play is whistled.
Gomez takes the faceoff to Halak’s right.
Two-on-one. Pouliot. With Gunnarsson back. Keeps. Shoots. Wide. Schenn fell earlier.
Faceoff. Goal. Houde loses it mildly.
Just a quick pass from the circle to Markov. To Bergeron. Blast. And in. What power. It’s Bergeron’s thirteenth goal.
Montreal 3, Toronto 2
Demers made a mildly preposterous statement the other night saying that Bergeron should be on the first pairing with Markov instead of O’Byrne. I agree that O’Byrne should be on the third pairing but Bergeron shouldn’t be on the first. Gorges with Markov works well for me.
Period ends with little more.
Canadiens lead on shots. Nine to seven for a total of 23-15.
Small crowd again. Lapierre line is on the ice. It ends with not much more than talking.
Giguere reminds me of Dr. Rick. He took off his mask to leave the ice. Resemblance is not in the balding quality. More how his eyes narrow. It’s a grade-school memory, really. I’ll observe and let you all know.
Second Intermission
Montreal 3, Toronto 2
We get a look at a fight from tonight’s Atlanta game. The Thrasher’s unsavoury Evander Kane shows his colours as he whams his opponent once to take him down and then again to hit his head off the ice. What did you learn in Ontario minor hockey today, son? Oh, the usual.
Third Period
Montreal 3, Toronto 2
Gill and Gorges are the first defence pairing for Montreal.
Toronto produces the first chance, a pass to the slot from the end boards that nearly results in a sure scoring opportunity.
Canadiens recover and work the puck back into the perimeter areas. Plekanec line is on with just over two minutes elapsed.
Phaneuf enters from the right. Lofts a weak shot at Halak. Gloved.
Phaneuf sticks somebody right after the whistle.
Toronto forward and Luca Caputi and Andrei Kostitsyn are malignantly tangled. Gloves are off. Kostitsyn’s helmet is on the ice. They separate the two as Houde comments that there will be no punches thrown.
Houde says that Phaneuf should have been put in the box not Orr.
Brunet says it’s Toronto’s last game and they are showing frustration. They are out of the playoffs, of course. Brunet says the best way to respond to this kind of rough stuff is to make a team pay on the power-play. With a goal, he means.
First wave is Gomez’ line. Phaneuf fails to clear a puck and sends it to Markov instead.
Pouliot sends it to Bergeron on the blue line. Licked lightning crack. But wide.
Hansen gets out. One on three. On two and now Hamrlik is turned around. Hansen shoots backhanded and it goes over Halak’s glove arm.
Not a powerful shot says Brunet.
Toronto 3, Montreal 3
Still about forty seconds left in the penalty.
Toronto’s Fredrik Sjostrom controls the puck for eight long seconds up and down the Montreal side boards to Halak’s left. Montreal’s responding entry is repulsed easily.
Penalty ends with a failed sideboard pass from Bergeron to the slot.
Markov starts the team out from behind the Montreal net. Toronto repels Montreal outside their blue line.
Leafs enter. Long shot from Grabovski. Halak gloves it and hangs on. Houde says that Halak is a bit shaken from the goal against and this is why he held onto it.
Puck goes out of play after a Phaneuf shot off the faceoff goes out of play.
Grabovski wins the next faceoff against Moore.
Toronto keeps it in and work the boards. Gorges takes it away and moves it up.
Toronto re-enters and Gorges gives it right to a shooter at the circles. Shot is wide.
Canadiens are nervous says Brunet as he chuckles, “Oy-yoy-yoy”.
Gomez sends Gionta in on his off-wing. Holds it for a second while covered. Shoots. Giguere collects it from his chest.
Off the faceoff, Bergeron sends a puck just wide of the net. Canadiens are exited and re-enter offside. Gomez line.
Martin is very concerned. Arms folded he makes odd movements with his mouth.
Canadiens get some more pressure. Gionta.
Scrum follows. Ends quickly. Schenn tries to annoy Gionta. Keep trying. Gionta can’t be intimidated.
Faceoff. To Giguere’s right. Lapierre and Moore are on. They lose the puck on the boards. Lapierre hits a defenceman as a puck escapes. Moen misses his coverage. Leafs exit.
It’s behind the Montreal net. Moen and Moore move it out.
Lapierre supports and sends it down the ice. Icing.
Just over twelve minutes left in the season.
Brunet says that the Leafs never gave up the ship and they’re still in it as a result. I’m paraphrasing. No ships were mentioned by Brunet.
Montreal’s turnovers are increasing.
Mild shot on Halak is handled and kept in play.
Cammalleri takes a pass from Andrei K. Scoots forward and forces Giguere to make a twelve-foot glove save. Cammalleri had just enough room to catch up to the hopper and fire it.
Plekanec and Primeau face off to Giguere’s right.
Plekanec wins it but Orr takes it. Turnover.
Andrei K carries it. Keeps it. Loses it as he crosses the blue line.
Another Montreal entry. Andrei K down the right side. Dump and chase. Can’t get it.
Gomez line. Gomez carries. Down the middle. Loses it a few feet in.
Another exit by Montreal. Gionta beats Kaberle to it. Turnover off the pass.
Toronto moves it. Kaberle. Loses it on the blue line. I shake my head.
Lapierre line. They try and control it but get about three seconds. It’s a slow motion end to end. And turnovers are frequent. Unforced errors by both teams. Bad passes.
Cammalleri appears down the right side. Shot. Blocked. Rebound. Bounces high.
Now Plekanec falls working the puck behind Giguere. It’s getting ragged. Canadiens are getting the best of it.
Pass to the slot. Direct shot. Darche. Giguere slides down to stop it. Whistle.
Gomez loses it. Toronto ices it.
Houde says that Markov has played a strong game.
Faceoff. To Giguere’s left. Gomez wins it and chases it. But eventually loses it.
Toronto’s John Mitchell is skating down the left side. Snap shot. Halak has trouble with this mild shot and Brunet and Houde both comment on it. Brunet says that everything is tough for Halak right now.
Seven and a half minutes left in the season.
Moen enters on the left side. Shot. Stick broke.
Kessel dumps it in on the right side for a line change. Canadiens skate down easily yet again. But they can’t keep it in.
Stalberg is down just as easily. Darche responds with a rush and shot of his own. The crowd rises. But his shot is stopped.
Gomez. Left side entry. Drops it for Gionta. Shot.
Another segment. Houde’s voice rises. Gionta is in the slot in the snow and spray. One man giant in the trees. But Giguere is strong and holds on.
Whistle.
Five and a half minutes left. Canadiens have logged 34 shots to Toronto’s 24. Maybe a ratio of 4 quality chances for each Toronto quality chance. Closer to 5:1, really.
Plekanec line is on.
Stalberg retrieves a puck near Gill. Stays ahead of him. It’s in the slot now. Stalberg sent in falling around the net. But the shot wasn’t very hard and Halak was able to make the play.
Faceoff is won by Toronto. They manage their first blue line pass of the period. But a shot doesn’t result.
Toronto lobs a backhander into Montreal ice for a line change.
Mitchell is in on the left side. Tries a soft pass. Fails.
Both teams are getting tired. Anxiety is a factor.
Deep. Just under three minutes. Behind Halak’s net.
Lapierre comes up with it after some brief dithering on the boards.
Hamrlik gets it to Lapierre inside the Toronto blue line. Can’t create.
Now Moore takes the puck from a bungling Kulemin at the right circle. Great hawkish play by Moore. But he is spinning and can’t retain the disc.
More havoc and Darche and Cammalleri enter. Coverage. Shot. Deflects high.
Plekanec line goes off. Gomez takes the faceoff against Grabovski.
Gomez wins it.
A shot. Stopped. Leafs exit. Stopped at the blue line. Pouliot picks it up. Takes it in. Board work results. Markov slaps it back in to keep possession.
Gunnarsson picks it up behind his net.
Montreal stands up on the blue line.
Plekanec line. Another entry. No shots. Plekanec is back to jam the puck under the Montreal blue line. Moen is supporting. Lapierre is hectic. Puck goes out of play.
Centre ice faceoff to come.
Just twenty seconds left.
Gomez chases. Leafs retrieve a puck. Icing is waved off.
One second left; stoppage.
Centre ice faceoff. Houde says it’s a symbolic faceoff. Siren goes on the puck drop.
Crowd is mildly cheering. Some flags are waved. Teams gather around their respective benches. Montreal led on third period shots, 13-10, for a total of 36-25.
Overtime
Montreal 3, Toronto 3
White-clad arena staff dudes with buckets do some work on the ice. Siren goes. We’re ready.
Halak scrapes the ice. His head is down. Now it’s up. His eyes lose expression.
Gomez and Gionta are the first pairing. Toronto wins the faceoff.
Early entry. Drop pass. Grabovski shoots from inside the blue line. Halak stops it.
Faceoff to his right.
Markov and Bergeron are the defensive pairing. Demers got his wish for the nonce.
It’s more for the additional space, I’d guess.
Cammalleri is in. Weaving. River race. To the slot. A move. Across the crease lip. A backhand. How did Giguere escape. Glove.
Faceoff to Giguere’s left.
I guess Sergei (Kostitsyn) was the benched dude for tonight, then. Just occurred to me.
Canadiens are in. A square of figures. At the blue. Passes to the square points.
Nope.
Toronto entry. Stopped.
Pouliot leads a two-on-one. Huge shot. Another post.
But why shoot? Ah mah gah.
Three minutes left in the season.
Leafs are in.
Right side. Pass up. Hanson. To the slot. In.
Leafs win. Canadiens are in.
Final Score
Toronto 4
Montreal 3 (OT)
Canadiens go to centre ice and salute the crowd. No booing. But very little cheering.
HDS Stars: Christian Hanson, Brian Gionta, Jean-Sebastien Giguere
RDS Stars: Christian Hanson, Scott Gomez, Andrei Markov
Demers said that there was a standing ovation for the team. Wasn’t very loud, then. I will confirm with my in-rink affiliates tomorrow.
Oh, and here are some quotes I found online from fans. They’re Phaneuf-related quotes:
“Phaneuf is perpetually overrated. Oilers and other NW division fans have known this for a long time. Flames fans worshiped the guy on Calgarypuck. It was odd lol. Leaves fans I’m sure will continue the tradition (and they are). Mcguire I’m sure played a role in the myth of Dion Phaneuf.
Phaneuf may be the single biggest turdball IRL in the entire league.
But, on the Leafs, there isn’t a single veteran with the guts to actually face down the BS he feeds everyone around him on a daily basis.
So Phaneuf’s ‘leadership’ might actually work there… for a time.
God help the Leafs when they bring in some veterans who don’t think being talked down to by a blowhard who’s performance never matches his arrogance is something they want to put up with forever”
“I watched some of the flames game tonight, and I saw Dion make an absolutely brutal little spin move along the boards in his own zone. The Avs player easily knocked the puck away from him and walked in for a scoring chance. He’s always over thinking and trying to make dumb little fancy plays instead of the easy play. To me it just smacks of arrogance mixed with stupidity. The guy is just not a smart guy or a smart hockey player. He must drive the Sutters crazy.”
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