Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals (Game One)

Musings and In-Game Scribbles playoffs

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).

#8 Montreal Canadiens (39-33-10)
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#1 Washington Capitals (54-15-13)

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

Round One – Playoffs
Game One (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.

Quick television shot of Washington Capital Jose Theodore in the team dressing room. The former Montreal Canadiens goaltender has been named Washington’s starting goalie for the series. I’m surprised with the choice and I consider this a Washington mistake. Once backup Semyon Varlamov enters the net, Montreal will have much more trouble. By game four, Varlamov should be the starter.

Alain Crete says that Capital coach Bruce Boudreau has stated this week that yanking Theodore for Varlamov in last season’s playoffs will not be a move repeated this season. If that’s true, Montreal has an unexpected advantage. Stubbornness can be a great ally.

Theodore, 33, starts, likely because of his experience compared with Varlamov who is only 21. But Theodore’s confidence is not what it once was and his abilities have also declined. A small, compact goalie, Theodore is a marvelous athlete and at his best was one of the quickest goalies in the NHL, winning the Hart Trophy for league’s most valuable player in 2001-02. But times have changed.

Halak starts for Montreal.

Canadiens will win this series, for the record. In their four games against Washington, they had more advantages in the matchups, several defensive columns and so forth. But the series should be a long one. Seven games. Maybe six.

First Period

Early penalty is against Marc-Andre Bergeron of the Canadiens.

Faceoff is to Halak’s left.

Josh Gorges and Hal Gill are the starting defenders for Montreal with Tom Pyatt and Tomas Plekanec the forward pairing.

Caps move the puck around and finally Nicklas Backstrom advances for a shot that goes high.

Ryan O’Byrne is not dressed for tonight’s game. Bergeron is in his place, moving to defence only from his quasi forward-defenceman designation of last game (in which he was the team’s seventh defenceman rotated in with the forwards at coach Jacques Martin’s discretion). Sergei Kostitsyn will likely be inserted as the forward.

Just under a minute in the penalty and Washington dynamo Alexander Ovechkin carries it over the blue line. Caps manage a brief board presence that extends into two pokes at the puck from the slot. Canadiens exit.

Penalty ends.

Bergeron drives with coverage, one hand on the stick, backhanded to Theodore. Can’t create a good shot.

Stoppage.

It’s the playoffs. Eh.

Faceoff to Theodore’s left. Caps clear. Canadiens retrieve. Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta are on (Batman and Batman). Puck goes long and Montreal is called for icing.

Faceoff is to Halak’s left.

Washington’s Eric Belanger is chased from the circle. Gomez wins the subsequent faceoff. Canadiens send the puck bounding forward.

Montreal’s Mathieu Darche has it under the end line. To the high slot. Shot. Wide. Smothered. Centre Dominic Moore’s shot from the high slot was wild.

Faceoff to Theodore’s right.

Travis Moen and Sergei Kostitsyn are on for Montreal. So, Kostitsyn is back in the lineup after a healthy scratching last game.

Tomas Plekanec, Andrei Kostitsyn and Mike Cammalleri are on.

Plekanec enters. Shot attempt. Low windup shot but it’s redirected by Washington defenceman Mike Green.

Crowd is waiting to go off. They are dressed in red, most of them. And they expect much from their intrepid gladiators tonight and this spring.

For some, games are remembered by highlights, horns and crowd sounds. Feelings. But the outcomes are determined by mucking, passing and positioning. Mathematics.

Sure, emotions are a part of a team’s fuel. But as we are seeing tonight, a playoff game is just a regular season game by another name. The action is slow and the Caps are playing a careful brand so far.

Alexander Semin is called for hooking. He hooked Gomez as he entered on the last sequence.

Early clear by Washington. Markov starts the team out.

Right side turnover leads to another clear.

Gomez swoops in on the right. Brakes. Starts the passing sequence. Gionta is in front jousting. Theodore tracks in his low, alert way.

Puck leaves the Capitals zone after five complete passes and a stoppage occurs. We see a replay of Brooks Laich knocking Gomez down in the neutral zone.

Faceoff and another Capital clear. Plekanec line is on. They enter. Set up.

Andrei K on the left hash. To the point. Across. Shot. Handled by Theodore. Possibly the first reasonable shot faced by Jose.

Faceoff is to his left. Plekanec versus David Steckel. Whistle as Plekanec is asked to leave the circle (faceoff infraction; foot too far ahead or somesuch is likely). Cammalleri takes it instead. Canadiens get possession after some board work.

Cammalleri makes two good plays on the boards. Penalty ends as a mild backhander from Cammalleri goes to the slot.

Moore line is on. Moore is a copper strain in silver. He’ll make some Caps gnash.

Darche, the speedy Tom Pyatt and centre Maxim Lapierre trap the puck under the end line for three, four seconds and the Caps boot it. They move out. But the play is whistled.

Faceoff is outside the Montreal zone and won by Gomez.

Montreal is nervous.

The action is getting more, uh, conventional, however. Starting to look like a series of skirmishes rather than tentative, milk stirs.

Another stoppage.

Brooks Laich is a large, smooth player. Like Christopher Higgins, Laich wears number twenty-one and I can’t help but think of Laich’s playing similarities to the former Habs forward (now in Calgary).

Faceoff to Theo’s right. Caps win another one. They have the advantage on the draws tonight.

Halak is out and behind his net fielding a puck. He has some struggles with it and the crowd murmurs. He manages it and the Caps don’t knock him down.

Puck goes out of play in the Caps zone soon afterward.

Another won faceoff by Washington. But a long puck is called for icing.

Gorges and Washington forward Jason Chmera collide and Gomez gives Chmera a light crosscheck after the whistle. Brunet says that was a bad decision and that it should have been called.

Gomez is a killer, remember. I mean that in the most affectionate sense of the term, of course. The playoffs are a player like Gomez’ time. He’ll show some tooth.

Moen is on. Hamrlik and Spacek are the defensive pairing.

They start a rush. Puck goes past the requisite number of lines and Montreal is called for icing.

Dominic Moore wins the faceoff to Halak’s right.

The Canadiens were very effective in limiting Ovechkin’s shots in regular season games and the pattern continues.

Now Backstrom is called. Crowd boos.

We see the replay. Call is legit. Knocked down Spacek in the corner.

Houde says that Backstrom is not particularly big but he is strong.

Canadiens set up. Move it around the trapezoid. Cross-ice from an advanced Markov, left to right and Cammalleri one-times it. No, I’ll never forget. It’s a Kovie-from-Markov power-play type goal.

Montreal 1, Washington 0

Theodore takes a sip of water.

We resume.

Washington’s magnificent forward Alexander Semin is taken down. By Pouliot. Semin is a bit dazed but comes out of it quickly.

Pouliot left his skates. Not cool. Legit call and a bad choice by Pouliot. Hit took place after an initial collision between Gionta and Semin on the boards. Pouliot followed up with some river-man rough-stuff. Not his usual.

Caps go to the man-advantage.

Ovie is on the left point. He advances as Backstrom receives the puck on the opposite point. Shot. But the rebound bounds harmlessly behind the net.

Gill and Gorges are on for Montreal.

Caps kept it in. Ovie stays on the point and then advances again. This time to the lip of the crease where he bangs his stick on the ice looking for a pass on the left lip. From the other side the puck is stopped from crossing the crease by Montreal, particularly Gill.

Caps keep it in. Several perimeter passes.

Gionta and Gomez are the next pairing as Montreal’s clearing pass allows a change.

Caps re-enter and manage to create a near-scoring chance to Halak’s right but no Caps are there to close the deal.

Penalty ends with the Canadiens in possession. Long pass for Pouliot. He has it deep but is covered. Pouliot turns slowly and can’t create anything.

Stoppage soon afterward.

Quick shot of Ovechkin. He is an indomitable player. Fierce spirit, big smile. Right now, he, like the fans, is anticipating the first goal.

Montreal held Ovechkin to three and five shots in two games and to eight shots each in the other two. He was held pointless in two of the games.

Capitals press the action. Canadiens are chasing for the first time. Goes to the point. Shot. In.

Siren starts. Red items are waving. Halak didn’t see it. Brunet says that it didn’t deflect off anything.

Defenceman Joe Corvo scores on a wrist shot.

Washington 1, Montreal 1

Just over four minutes in the period. Brunet says that you don’t want to have nervous crowds at home. The crowd is a bit more into it but the corresponding rises in action are not as high as I would have expected. Washington fans are not a naïve bunch. The team has been in the NHL since the seventies and they’ve seen their share of failures along the way. And plenty of hockey.

Montreal’s coverage and patience are disconcerting for Washington fans and the Capitals’ own hesitation is also deadening.

Plekanec line is on for an inconsequential shift. They are followed by Gomez’ line.

They are backed up briefly. Caps have to reset and we are told that Washington leads 19-6 on shots so far. Just over two minutes.

Canadiens are playing scared now for the first time. They watch and retreat and wait. Finally Moore interrupts the pattern with a burst and a shot. Just over the line and wide. But Washington is back in just as quickly.

Plekanec line hops on with just under a minute.

Plekanec tries to annoy Theodore in the crease after a stoppage and gets a lot of attention after the whistle for it. Bergeron’s shot was handled from the point and after Plekanec little jostle, Jose calmly left the crease without reacting. Jose has seen it all and this is one of the advantages he has over Varlamov. One of the few.

Faceoff is to Theodore’s left.

Canadiens create a turnover from a missed pass by Washington in the neutral zone. Result is mild.

Now Ovechkin escapes down the left side. Lunges over the line, covered. Keeps going. But his drive and shot are directed away from the cage. Period ends soon afterward.

Shots are in favour of Washington 19-7.

First Intermission
Washington 1, Montreal 1

Alain Crete says that the Canadiens played not to make mistakes in the first period. Jacques Demers warns that when a team does this the result will be … turnovers. He commands les boys to relax and go after it.

Crete closes by saying that Hamrlik and Spacek amongst others mentioned had a tough first period.

Tim Horton’s commercials are about as embarrassing as those old “I Am Canadian” ads. Those ads were designed by Americans on orders from Canucks to “make us more patriotic”. Uh. Ok. The Horton ads are indoctrination models that could have been conceived in 1956. Ford Oldsmobile ideas of country. Blend in, buy a hockey outfit.

Have some powdered coffee, too. Hey, why not snort some milk of magnesia while you’re at it. Same flavour, moke.

Alain and Francois discuss the Islanders briefly. Then they move on to a comparison of Montreal and Washington’s head coaches. Martin won the Memorial Cup (as coach) in 1986 with Guelph. Didn’t know that.

Boudreau won the Calder Cup (as coach) with Hershey in 2006. Memorial and Calder are both minor hockey championships.

They mention that this is the first playoff matchup between Montreal and Washington.

The Canadiens have 657 man-games played in the post-season to Washington’s 578. Only one Capital has won a Cup while Montreal has five Cup winners. Crete suggests that the Canadiens with Stanley Cup experience must guide their teammates. He mentions Gomez and Gionta by name. They won in New Jersey.

Viewers are asked how many games the Canadiens will win in this series. Choices are from zero to four. Crete elicits a chuckle from Francois when he mentions that four is choice “E”.

There was some fighting in the Buffalo-Boston game tonight, we are shown. The game is ongoing and tight on the scoreboard.

Renaud Lavoie interviews Kirk Muller. Muller says “we can’t give them time and space”. He effects an optimistic, reassuring tone and I get the sense that he gave a similar talk to the team. Or not.

Lavoie translates the interview to French. And I wonder if the day will come when a hand could reach out from the screen and take an object from my living room. Say, a chocolate bar.

Second Period
Montreal 1, Washington 1

Plekanec line starts.

Poti retrieves. Long puck goes into the crowd.

Plekanec line stays on. Cammalleri has to take another faceoff for Plekanec. Outside the blue. Puck leaves the ice quickly.

Organist plays a traditional tune.

Martin looks very relaxed and in control.

He loves defensive hockey. The playoffs are a good place for coaches of his style. What hockey coach isn’t defensive, I ask.

Not many.

Canadiens get a brief presence. They lose control of it up top. Caps rush. Ovie. Down the left. Brakes. Sends one across. Deflected.

To the other end. Decent chance created by Gomez’ line. Stoppage.

Moen is on now. Chasing. What else. Gill and Gorges are the defensive pairing. Sergei lifts a puck inside the Montreal blue. Moves it up. Two Habs go the net. Moore can’t create a chance from behind the net.

We’re back on the Montreal boards. Moen lobs it out.

Now Halak makes a distance save on a high-velocity shot.

Action is starting to go in a Washington rhythm. Coast to coast type stuff. Obama is a Blackhawks fan but the local team is going to grow on him. I wonder if he will end up seeing a game or two.

Cammalleri breaks up a slot pass by Washington. Hustles out with it.

Canadiens can’t keep control of the puck.

Montreal is considered a small, opportunistic team that has to win on the power-play and in using their speed to create scoring and space. The fear expressed by some is that the lack of size in the their top six (forwards) will catch up with them in a long series.

Just over fifteen minutes left in the period.

Backstrom sends a high shot. Halak reaches up and the puck floats away from him. It’s a disconcerting image and I expect the puck to fall in the net behind him. The crowd roars but the puck stays out. Replay shows that it did fall behind him but it rolled and skippled parallel to the line but not over.

It all seems rather desperate at the moment. Not necessarily because of the action on the ice but because of the magnitude of expectations. A won-loss record and season-long performance captured in aggregate statistics both have their impact on optics.

At this point, the playoffs-are-here point, most fans become expert by citing those types of macro, general numbers and are then genuinely shocked when game results continue to reflect on-ice realities. A team that won fifty games is lauded but the fact that a fifty-win team records 32 losses is forgotten. It’s only a sixty percent rate. And this season, only four of thirty teams had more than fifty wins. Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks, Phoenix Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks. Only the Blackhawks are a sure threat of those four.

The rest sound sensible from a fan’s distance but will need hockey luck and other such magic to win. Of course, in hockey, often-times a team does win on the strength of those variables. The puck is capricious. Turnovers are many and luck is a bigger factor in this game than any of the others.

Slippery tac toe.

Caps go to a third power-play.

Just over eleven minutes.

Semin one-times a carefully set up pass from Backstrom. Wild, whoom, and wide.

Caps get a second sequence.

Penalty ends.

Pouliot drives down the left side. Big shot. V-shaped rebound vector. Gionta. His shot is stopped as well.

Stoppage.

The drive and shots seem to have given Montreal some hope. Maybe some flag and boot words were yelled after the shift. I’ve never seen Gionta yell, though. And Pouliot. Forget yelling, Pouliot hardly seems to talk.  At least in public.

Canadiens are now controlling very well. An eight-second possession extends to fifteen. They are exited. But Montreal is back in.

Montreal’s confidence is climbing. Their risk-taking increases and so does their skating speed as a group.

Moore has it deep. Backhand pass goes to the slot but it’s intercepted.

Cammalleri makes me stop typing with a strong move to the net and then around.

Houde says the Canadiens are starting to play now. And it’s true. Action is blurb and fall. Theo and tall. Puck swarm. In the crease. Four and five. No smother. No view. No whistle. Why? It’s free. Andrei K sees it. Takes it back under the end line. Waits, waits. More waiting. It’s sugar. To the slot. Nope.

But the game is awake and so are its participants. Crowd sees and senses it all and they chant.

Caps respond but Montreal’s fear-induced lethargy is gone and the Caps won’t get space for a while.

Puck goes out of play.

We resume with Gomez’ line on. Loses the faceoff and follows the disc. Long Washington puck goes out of play.

Faceoff is outside the Montreal zone.

Gomez line stays on.

They work the boards in the neutral zone.

Send it in. Markov beats everyone to the puck.

Fleischmann line is on for Washington.

Gionta has it in the neutral zone. Sends it ahead for Moen.

Moore and Sergei join him.

Karlsson is on down the right side. He’s playing like Moore, the only guy on this team who is at a different level. I mean in other days. Toady, Moore isn’t the only Hab who cares.

Moore works under the end line. No-look backhand pass to the slot is missed and is a turnover.

Fehr misses a chance. Halak stopped him.

Montreal is back down.

Canadiens are playing hockey and not thinking about where they are. It will help Halak to see it.

When Halak is relaxed and sharp, there are few better this season.

We see a replay where Karlsson walks around Gill. But Gill managed to keep the angle and block the first pass.

Lapierre line is on. Darche and Lapierre work the boards

Lapierre shows some easter. Golden. He keeps it. Works it. Gets it to he slot.

Great work from Maxim and the result is a Joe Corvo holding penalty.

Faceoff is to Theodore’s left.

Bergeron keeps it in along the boards. Gomez is behind him. Covering. Finally the Capitals send it out.

Markov retrieves.

Canadiens dither a bit with horizontal passes and get it in at last.
But the puck is cleared.

Just under a minute in the period.

Just over a minute in the penalty.

Caps are interrupting. Laich is on.

Cammalleri is in. Very smooth move to keep the puck in front of four Caps. Gomez stays ahead of the play. Gomez has the eagle’s nose. He knows. It’s the chance.

Seven seconds.

Deflection from the blue. Line.
Another long shot. Cammalleri gets high to get it.

Nope.

Houde says that the Canadiens have changed the game.

He’s right. Brunet says that the Canadiens are no longer intimidated.

Canadiens led 13-8 on shots for a total of 27-20 for Washington.

Second Intermission
Montreal 1, Washington 1

Bouchard and Demers say that the Canadiens have altered the momentum

Third Period
Washington 1, Montreal 1

Early entry by Washington. Rearward slot pass and a boom. And a full bowl reaction. Washington scores. Tom Knuble’s drop pass was blasted in. Houde says that this could cut the legs from under Montreal.

Washington 2, Montreal 1

Moore line follows.

Capitals are skating with purpose. They have much better size than Montreal along the forward lines.

Pyatt works in the corner. Keeps it. Turns and chases. Small demon tail. But finally the puck leaves the zone. Plekanec, Hamrlik and Gorges combine along the back boards to move it out.

Long shot from Backstrom is kick-saved and the rebound is smothered by Halak.

Backstrom returns to he bench to towel his visor and forehead.

Faceoff is won by Plekanec against Backstrom. Puck rounds the boards. Canadiens enter. Andrei K has it under the blue line. Stickhandles and tries to create a screened shot.

Four minutes elapsed.

Gomez line is on. They move the puck in a small rectangle in their zone. They are forced back but keep the puck all he while.

Gionta enters the Caps zone. Leaves it for Gomez who looks once and then shoots. High, hard and wide.

Lines change for both teams. Gorges sends a long pass up the middle but it misses everyone and is picked up in the Capital zone.

Sergei Kostitsyn to Moen on the left. To the point. Shot. Theodore stops it.

Now Gorges’ shot from the point is blocked.

Caps respond. Short sequence but Gill stands tall and takes a man off the puck.

Play ends for the moment.

Faceoff is to Halak’s left. Gill returns to the bench.

Lapierre loses the faceoff.

Houde tells us that coming into the third that the Caps led on faceoffs, sixty percent.

Pyatt gets a chance from the circle abut fans on it. Houde says he missed a great chance.

Play is stopped.

Brunet says Martin can say nothing wrong about his third and fourth lines’ performances tonight.

Long shot by Cammalleri is held by Theodore for a faceoff.

Faceoff is to his right. Andrei K gets a shot from the circle off the faceoff. Goes wide and goes along the boards.

Capitals are working. Steckel. His retrieval ends in a bad puck. But the Capitals are back in. Bradley shoots. He follows up with a pasting of a Hab on the boards.

Houde says that Gionta is having a problem with his equipment. Or that he’s hurt. Gionta stays on the ice.

Hamrlik starts the tam from behind the net. Gomez has it. Up and in. A move…

Gomez drops it. It moves here. And then there and then from Gionta to Gomez in the crease. Goal.

My arms are silent. My fists are in the sky.

Montreal 2, Washington 2

Moore line follows.

Halak makes a great save on the followup rush by Washington.

Moore’s work saved a sure goal. He stopped Semin from burying the rebound. Replay confirms it. Dominic Moore. Playoff maven.

Lapierre line is on. Lapierre takes Morrison in the corner. Darche now takes his man.

Good work from the two forward. One battle own. And another. And another. Lapierre.

Lapierre is playing a very good game.

Finally the Caps move it out.  Canadiens get it back.

Cammalleri gives it away underneath. Halak makes his best save of the night.

Caps have to retrieve moments later. Fleishmann and Ovechkin are on. Ovie has it in the slot but is taken off the puck. Houde commends the coverage.

Hamrlik now has it deep. To Gomez on the point.

No shot results.

Canadiens get back and help out. Gionta sends the puck, in. Pouliot hits somebody in the corner. Green, I think.

Canadiens are game. Moore line is back on.

Moore line is back on.

Moen hits Carlson on the whistle deep. Brunet and Houde say that it should be called. Small short crowding.

Moen is explaining himself to all. He leaves the ice.

Hmm. Hard to tell on the replay. It’s boarding, though and Washington goes to the powerplay. Martin says he doesn’t like the call and shakes his head.

Faceoff is to Halak’s right.

Washington wins the faceoff.

To the point to Ovie. To Green. Shot is blocked.

Gionta nearly creates a breakaway for himself.

Caps escape it with good work from Mike Green; occupied the body.

Plekanec is on now. Creating. Markov advances. Keeps it deep. Pyatt follows with a chase. Moore is with him. They keep Washington from setting up. ON the boards in Montreal ice now.

Puck goes from one side to the other. And a clearing works.

Just under eight minutes in the period.

Thirty seconds in the penalty as Washington fires it in. Chase fails. Cleared.

Gionta is surveying the Washington breakout.

They’re in. Gill takes the body. Puck goes to the high circle. Shot from Fleischmann. Halak captures it.

Majority of viewers, 43% say that Montreal will win four games. I’m shocked. But I’m happy to see it. I think Montreal has a great chance, too.

Crowd is at their loudest now.

Caps drive the puck in but can’t get to it. Montreal works it out.
Plekanec is taken down by Mike Green. Nice check.

Backstrom shoots and creates trouble. Halak handles it but the rebound is big. Gill lobs it out backhanded.

Now the puck is back in where Halak is able to backhand it to the other side where Hamrlik picks it up.

Plekanec line is not playing their best, yet.

About seven minutes left in the game.

Boudreau speaks with Nicklas Backstrom on the bench. Backstrom agrees with whatever is being said. Boudreau pats him on the back and returns to this spot behind the bench.

There’s a Capstronaut in the crowd. I have to chuckle. It’s quite the outfit.

Faceoff is to Halak’s left. Gomez is asked to leave the circle and expresses some ill words to the linesman that made the decision. Houde is concerned but there is no call.

Unsportsmanlike is what I was fearing myself.

Canadiens start it off. Up for Gomez.

Gomez is over the blue line. To the other side. Long shot. Theodore handles it.

Quick shot of Abraham Lincoln and I’m reminded of the most recent incarnation of the Planet of the Apes movie series. The remake of the first one. They really blew a great chance with a weak story. The original was disquieting and powerful. A concrete and dust narrative. And, yeah, I know your buddy Charlton is a gun enthusiast.

Faceoff to Theodore’s right.

Plekanec takes it. Cammalleri is in twice and the faceoff is halted for other reasons. Third faceoff results in another quick stoppage.

Finally the drop it. It’s won by Montreal.

Andrei K is on a mission. It’s the third period and he’s as interested as he normally is during the frame. Very.

Laich is in on the left side. Fleischmann supports. But between Lapierre and Bergeron, the Canadiens are able to lift and exit.

They have it underneath. Puck is lost as Poti comes along to take it.

Canadiens forecheck is failing. Caps move it out. Chimera has it underneath. He sends a pass through the slot. No Caps are wandering there.

Finally Gill gets the puck and whacks it out.

Gionta is cruising down the right side. Shoots. Puck goes up and out.

Having Brian Gionta on our side is a relief. He is a dangerous player and is a playoff danger for any opponent.

Just over three minutes left in the period.

In the old days, both teams would serve up some very bland hockey right now but with the obstruction rules instituted since the lockout, a goal could still be seen. Nobody is relaxing.

Washington leads on shots 40-27 so far.

Bergeron gets a shot from the point.

Bergeron does his best as a two-on-one develops against him. He whacks at a puck and it’s enough to stop the chance. Puck keeps bouncing around and Halak has to wave his stick at hit and make a play to smother it. He gets it under control and then the Canadiens are out.

Two minutes.

Gill is over the line.

Slow backhand and I am a bit alarmed as Gill is in much deeper than he usually is. His lack of speed is the pulse-quickener. And now the Caps chase it down. One on one chase. Gorges gets enough gas to get down and click it up for a forward who moves it out.

Stoppage.

Faceoff to Halak’s right. Moore wins it. But the Canadiens have to work the boards to get possession. Plekanec and Cammalleri chase it in. Now Cammalleri gets a golf-shot chance. You know the kind; when he’s on one knee and uncling it as hard as he can. But he fans on it.

Booing. Caps are in offside.

Andrei Kostitsyn and Cammalleri discuss the scoring chance on the bench. It’s good to see Andrei so verbal.

Another stoppage. Refs huddle. Green is swearing and muttering, shaking his head as he looks at the officials.

It’s a delay of game. Puck went out of play accidentally. They should just get higher glass. Or put some netting up there. I dunno. Something.

Canadiens go to a power-play.

Plekanec wins it. To the point.

Bergeron shoots. Houde says he was impatient. The blockage nearly caused a Capital breakout. Houde says that Bergeron’s impatience may be the factor to push this game into overtime.

Faceoff follows in the neutral zone. Ten seconds or so left. Montreal can’t get it set up. But they did win the faceoff.

Period ends. Washington leads on shots 41-28.

Third Intermission
Washington 2, Montreal 2

Demers says that the Canadiens have done well in holding Ovechkin shotless so far. Backstrom has been low on the shot sheet, as well.

Bouchard says the Capitals have not looked like the number one team in the NHL tonight (Washington finished in first place overall to Montreal’s 19th) and that Ovechkin has done basically nothing. He expects more from them all.

We are informed that blocked shots are 23-22 in favour of Washington and that body checks are 33-22, also in favour of Washington.

Michel Therrien is in the analysis chamber and he has hard words for Alex Ovechkin. Therrien, the former Penguin and Canadiens coach, says that Ovechkin has won the individual honours but he hasn’t won the team ones. He cites the Russian failure at the Olympics, calling it a catastrophe and then cites tonight’s team no-show. Therrien says that Ovechkin hasn’t done the job as leader.

This type of commentary is one reason why the “C” should go to an older guy. Whether Therrien is right or not, the public perception created by the captaincy is an unneeded distraction. Especially when the pressure comes from the media.

Fourth Period
Montreal 2, Washington 2

In the playoffs, the overtime period shifts to twenty full minutes, five-on-five. Same rules as in regulation time. (Regular season overtime is a five-minute four-on-four period followed by a soccer-style shootout).

Gomez line begins. Still a good chunk of time in the penalty against Washington’s Green.

They are prevented from setting up early. Finally they get it in and Markov gets a shot that goes high and wide.

Thirty seconds. Three decent chances. One sequence under the hash. One long shot from Bergeron and good puck pursuit on the offensive by both Pouliot and Andrei Kostitsyn.

Penalty ends. Faceoff is to Halak’s left.

Overtime is overtime. But it’s worse when you’re typing.

Moore line is on. Moore has it on the boards. Pauses. Looks. Sends it to sticks. The wrong ones.

Capitals are able to to move it out.

Semin is in. Turns and shoots.

Puck is sent out.

Plekanec line is on.

I can’t type yet. Not much. The forecheck is decent. Stoppage. I have some water. We’re told it thins the blood.

Four and a bloodheart chance. Now a near three-on-one but all four Habs are throbbing back and Markov interrupts the rush before even a pass can be made. What a chance by Montreal, though.

Action has slowed to poisonous first period levels. Fumes and fear.

Andrei K is on the right.

Halak. Save. White pumpkins falling. And shattering. He stopped it. Please no more shots on goal against.

Gionta and Gomez work underneath. Gionta is fearless. He creates one chance with Gomez. Now a second with Pouliot.

Theodore (use the 2K voice)

Faceoff to Theo’s right.

Gomez line remains on. Interesting. That’s a longer possession than usual.

Entry. From a Gill smoothness play. Yes, he can.

Shot by Gionta as he crosses the line.

Canadiens are making no errors. Carrying the play.

Here’s an entry by Ovie. Hard shot is high and wide and out of play.

Faceoff to Halak’s right.

Veterans know how to play in these situations.

Lapierre line is on now. First shift of the period?

Darche with a shot. Deflected but reaches Theodore.

Andrei K passes to Lapierre. Over the line. Shot. Muffled.

Lines change on the stoppage in play.

Plekanec. Negligible. But Cammalleri comes up with it.

Washington is, I don’t believe it, watching. They are saying it’s your game to win, Montreal. I’m mildly shocked. But then again, I’ve seen them do this before. Against Pittsburgh last spring comes to mind.

Capitals get an entry at last. But the puck goes out of play.

Gionta is on. Bergeron leaves. Gill and Gorges are the defensive pairing.

Pace is slow. Slower than five minutes ago.

Lobbed puck is handled by Halak.

Faceoff Halak’s left.

Houde says something about shots. I can’t register

Refs let Gionta get taken down on a near breakaway.

Refs let it go. What a Paleolithic satire.

Three-on-one results for Washington. So if they score, would that have been fair. They don’t. They get another lion on gazelle chance. Oy. Halak and Spacek combine.

Moore line is on.

No-calls are for Neanderthals. Cave drawing head office flat-earthism.

About nine minutes left.

Pyatt is on with Andrei K and Plekanec. Must be a late line change.

Andrei is warming.

Now it’s on the boards in the neutral zone.

Cammalleri is in. Waits. Shoots. Lovely. Wide.

Stoppage soon afterward.

The National Hockey League. Oafficials.

Houde is merrily discussing upcoming games in other matchups. How can he do it? I guess he has a job to do.

Halak gets some water, mask tilted up.

I have a, uh, “job to do”. Theodore stretches about ten feet away from his cage.

Gionta waits for the faceoff.

Pouliot is on and edging to the circle. It’s to Halak’s right.

One day writing (and reading) won’t be legal and we won’t have to deal with this kind of tension.

Washington gets some control. Gomez saved Bergeron on the play and closes off space (says Houde.

Capital entry. Halak smothers it. Moen is in discussion with Two Caps.

Faceoff to Halak’s right. Moore line.

Backstrom line for Washington. Backstrom wins it. Houde said he won it easily.

Canadiens exit anyway.

Ovie is in on the right. Keeps. Skates. Closer. Shoots. High. And wide. Heavy shot. And we hear the echo in the rink. Brick on wood thud.

Flow goes the other way.

Plekanec scores coming over the blue line and I’m the happiest I’ve been since the first goal of the season (the one by Sergei Kostitsyn).  [ed note: Montreal’s first regular season goal was by Brian Gionta in a 4-3 road win over Toronto.  HDS seems a bit muddled.  I remember the goal he is referring to but it was more the goal that got his lights on.)

Bien fait les boys.

He entered with Cammalleri on his left, kept it and then wound up and got it. Golf shot and a wild follow-through.

Beat Theodore high to his left.

Montreal 3
Washington 2 (OT)

Montreal leads best-of-seven series 1-0; Game Two is on Saturday, April 17th.

HDS Stars: Andrei Markov, Hal Gill, Tomas Plekanec
RDS Stars: Jaroslav Halak, Nicklas Backstrom, Tomas Plekanec

I thought that Josh Gorges and Jaroslav Spacek also played very well. Montreal’s win tonight is their first playoff win since the spring of 2008 when they won the first game of their round two matchup against Philadelphia Flyers (4-3 in overtime; Tom Kostopoulos … remember?)

Halak was good. But he had some bad moments, as well. One very bad moment didn’t hurt him as the puck didn’t cross the line. For me a star selection can’t have made a major gaffe. And if so, the balancing work has to be beyond compelling. Just my thoughts.

Related posts:

1. Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals (Game Seven)
2. Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals (Game Six)
3. Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals (Game Five)
4. Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals (Game Four)
5. Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals (Game Three)
6. Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals (Game Two)