Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Gm 2)

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).

Montreal Canadiens
visit
Pittsburgh Penguins

Sunday, May 2nd, 2010

Round Two – Playoffs (Pittsburgh leads series 1-0)
Game 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.

Reseau des Sports’ Pierre Houde says that if he had half an hour he could explain the adjustments needed for the Canadiens today.  He laughs and adds more seriously that it won’t take a miracle and highlights improved defensive play.

Montreal assistant coach Perry Pearn is shown on-screen and he says that if the team had been a bit more mentally sharp, things could have been different.  Pearn adds that he likes how the team has responded to the loss without losing confidence.  The interview was pre-taped in a studio setting.

Everyone is wearing suits.  Except the players interviewed.  Pittsburgh’s Pascal Dupuis is shown now.

Unexpectedly long lead-up to the game.

We are told that Montreal’s 33-year old Mathieu Darche will be in the lineup tonight.  Who does he replace?  Andrei Kostitsyn?

Both Pittsburgh’s Jordan Staal and Montreal’s admiral, Andrei Markov, will miss today’s game due to injuries sustained in game one.  Markov’s was serious enough for his return to Montreal for medical treatment.  It has alternately been described as a lower-body injury and a knee injury.  He was hit by Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke and was sent into the boards awkwardly, twisting his leg as he made contact and fell.

Anthem singer Jeff Jimerson shows no improvement over last game’s feeble rendition.  He speeds up, slows down and gets inappropriately breathy.

Jaroslav Halak and Marc-Andre Fleury are the goaltenders for this afternoon’s game two contest.

First Period

Thomas Plekanec line is first on for Montreal.  They face Sidney Crosby.

Early incursion by Pittsburgh’s Chris Kunitz along the Montreal boards.  He stands and works the puck but gets no support and the Penguins are exited.  They are back in and from the high slot, Crosby sends a wrister which goes up and out of play.

Montreal defenceman Hal Gill sent the puck into Crosby for a turnover.

Faceoff.

Canadiens win it.

Scott Gomez’ line; Montreal.

Circling and passing by Montreal in the neutral zone.  Gomez has it just over the Montreal blue line.  Long pass goes too far and is called for icing.

For Montreal young Ben Maxwell is also in the lineup.  Former Bruin Glenn Metropolit is out.  Perhaps Metropolit is hurt.  More than likely as he is very important, moreso in the playoffs as he is a solid two-way forward with good faceoff skills.  He wouldn’t miss unless he needed it.

This will be Maxwell’s first playoff experience at the NHL level.

Montreal denim-worker Travis Moen is chasing a puck deep in Pittsburgh ice.

Now we go the other way.

Puck rounds the boards.

Pittsburgh’s Craig Adams falls.  He is prone for a second or two.  Then he gets up, retrieves his stick and returns to the bench.

Lines change.  Montreal’s Mike Cammalleri bumps into a teammate.  Another Hab drops back to clean up.  Faceoff deep in Pittsburgh ice soon afterward.

Montreal end.  Halak is on his seat.  Birds tweet around his head.  His glove comes up.  A sharp angle shot.  Another.  Penguins can’t capitalize, uh, on the spilt ‘tender.

Canadiens survive the moment.

The young newcomer PK Subban is paired with unclish Roman Hamrlik.  Subban shows no fear of Crosby.

Faceoff after some action.

Penguins get control.

Matt Cooke moves to the net.  Forehand to backhand.  Beats Halak.  He has a deke?

Pittsburgh 1, Montreal 0

Cooke smiles a toothless smile.

What a joke.  Ralphie gets an honourary degree.

Darche, Andrei Kostitsyn and Maxwell are one line. Reminder line?  Reminding Andrei K where he might end up.  Hamilton.

Penguin incursion.  Halak gets low.  Save.  Another shot.  Another save.

Pens exit and re-enter.

Chris Kunitz sends a long shot.  Stopped.

Penguins.  Speed.  Diving.  Bad fish.

Another entry.  Pittsburgh’s dashing Evgeni Malkin.  Beats two men.  Shot.  Halak makes a solid save.

Montreal’s defensive is unable to stop the entries.  We go to commercial.

Brunet says that the Penguins are having a great start to this game.  He compliments their hitting and we see some video evidence.

Penguins enter offside.

Pittsburgh defender Jay McKee is absent tonight.  And Tyler Kennedy replaces Staal we are told.

Plekanec wins the faceoff.  Back to the Montreal zone and passed up for Plekanec.  Missed.

Kennedy is on the right side.  Pass to Malkin.  Off-wing shot.  Sharp angle.  Either saved or wide.  Pens continue a possession for about eight seconds.

Lines change.

Tough Brian Gionta, Benoit Pouliot and Gomez are on.

To the neutral one.  Montreal controls.  Then Pittsburgh.  Short entry.  No shots.

Dominic Moore gets it and shoots.  Fleury is ready.

Action continues.  Canadiens are getting more success matching the Penguins spots and speed.  And their commitment.

Now Pittsburgh’s Ruslan Fedotenko is called for interference.

Brunet says it’s merited.

Early shot from Marc-Andre Bergeron.  Off somebody with force.

Habs keep it in.  TO the point again.  Across to Subban.

Pens push the Canadiens out twice now in quick succession.

With a minute left, Gomez sets up on the low hash. Shot-pass to the crease.  Fleury makes Houde exclaim in admiration.

Gionta was in the crease for the puck which hit the goalie exclusively and semi-high.

Pens send it out.

Andrei Kostitsyn enters, weaving.  Keeps it.  In the corner.  To Fleury’s right.  To the blue line. A shot.  Nope.

It ends up back on the blue line again.  Bergeron again.  Wrist shot after moving to his left a bit. Right point.  Fleury gloves it and holds it.

Penalty ends soon afterward.  Canadiens keep it.

Moore has it in the corner.  Lapierre is behind the net.  Third player is in the crease.  Moore shoots unexpectedly.  Too sharp an angle and we see another stoppage.

Moore stays on the ice.  Faceoff to Fleury’s right is won by Pittsburgh.

Canadiens are getting a second man to the puck now.  The spaces are closing for Pittsburgh.

And their zest has subsided.

Montreal moves the puck and stays somewhat ahead of the Penguins without entering their zone.

Now the Pens go offside.

Gomez line.  Short pass to Gomez over the right circle to Halak’s right.

Gomez brakes.  Looks, gliding right.

Passes but the puck goes out of play after some puck dithering.

Plekanec line is on.  Moen and Cammalleri are with him.

Pouliot effects a possession.  Backhanded and turning towards the Penguin blue line he finds a receiver.  The puck is advanced through passing.  A shot.

And a stoppage again.

Quick shot of Penguin co-owner Mario Lemieux up in the managerial section of the arena.  You know.  The luxury box area.  Former Penguin and Canadien forward Pierre Larouche is beside him.  Larouche was interviewed before the game and he said he is very proud of being the only centre in Montreal history to have scored 50 goals in a single season.  Beliveau’s best season was 47.

Yeah, yeah.  Thanks Pierre.  Good thing there aren’t any backchecking stats for us to throw around.

Gionta tings one in.

From the crease.

Montreal 1, Pittsburgh 1

Gomez supported a Pouliot left-side entry.  Came in and backhanded the puck to Gionta from the endboards.

Plekanec line follows.

Four minutes and twelve seconds left in the period says Houde.

Bergeron and O’Byrne are the defensive pairing.

Right side entry.  Backhand pass to Moen in the crease.  Good idea.  But the puck sails through.

Pyatt, Lapierre and Moore are on now.

Penguins are not pressing offensively as they were before.  One reason is that the Canadiens forwards are all dropping back and tenting the Pen attack.

Crosby works to counter this and has some success on the end boards but a slot puck is picked up by Gill and carried up and sent out.

The Canadiens are establishing a defensive rhythm for the first time in this series.

One minute mark is announced.

Halak scoops up a skittering puck that mousetails along the end line towards him.  Small crowd gathers behind his net.  Malkin.  Gorges.  And then four other Habs with the two Penguin forwards.

Canadiens have the man advantage on the board battles.  Always a second and sometimes a third player joining.  Martin looks pleased, then relieved and then looks down at his shoes, arms folded.

Faceoff.

Play ends soon afterward with a blast into the Penguin zone along the left side boards.

Brunet says that the Penguin penalty hurt their momentum.

Arena is quiet.  Almost thoughtful.

Montreal leads on shots 12-9.

First Intermission
Montreal 1, Pittsburgh 1

The super-hubris tones of determination in these car commercials are offensive.  Who growls as they speak?  Grr-pass-grr-me-grr-the-grr-turrrkey.

Cars destroy the environment.  And companies that present these metal rexes as solid, heroic options should be shut down.  And publicly humiliated.  Prosecuted for damaging our world.  Yeah, there’s a long list.

Second Period
Pittsburgh 1, Montreal 1

Early action sees good work from O’Byrne.

Penguin entries, two of them, are repelled by Halak with help from Gill.

Moore bumps Fleury slightly behind the net after Fleury plays a puck up the boards.

Crowd is subdued.  Waiting.  The rises in Pittsburgh offensive action evoke approving murmurs but not much more.

It’s a game that will be decided by the power-play.  It’s a stalemate of position to a certain degree in the first five minutes.

Now the Penguins apply pressure.  Point pass.  Shot.  Rebound hovers.  Canadiens clear it out.

Lines change.  Moore line is on.

It’s in the corner to Halak’s left.  To the point again.  Shot.  We hear the pads.  Now it’s in the slot.  Halak is on his knees, straight back and shuffling left to right and then back to centre.  Canadiens are in traffic.  Three of them.  The puck is smothered without a dangerous Pen shot.

Replay on the shuffle stops shows a Montreal turnover.  Brunet says that the team can’t turn the puck over when Crosby is on the ice.

Penguins lead on shots 8-0.

Cammalleri is under the end line.  Moves the puck left and then right.  Draws a penalty.  Moen works on the end boards.  Orpik is called.

Habs win the faceoff.

On the right hash.  Cammalleri.  To the opposite point.  Subban shoots.  Bounces into the air off Fleury.  Cammalleri swicks it in.

Sickle goal.

Montreal 2, Pittsburgh 1

Martin is adjusting buttons that don’t need adjusting.  He says a few words to his bench.

Gomez line follows.

Cammalleri looks on from the bench.  Leaning forward.  Now he leans back and looks to his right and says something to a teammate a few seats down.

Twelve minutes left.

Pens control.  To the point.  Letang.  Shot.  Wide.  Gorges gets it.  Gill supports.  Gomez gets in there.  Penguins retain.  Shot by Kunitz from the circle.  Stopped.  Not a very hard shot, says Houde.

Moore steps on as the puck leaves the Montreal zone.

In the neutral zone.  Lapierre works it free.  Along the boards.  Behind the net.  Lapierre has it again.  Waits.  Keeps.  Now he jerk-shoulder passes it for Moore who can’t retain the disc.

Pens exit.  They glide in.  Shot.  High.

Exit and re-entry.

Moen is in the high slot.

Talbot has it.  Shot.  Rebound is dangerous but no Pens can corral it.

Puck stays in Montreal ice.  One man leaves.  Plekanec hops on.  Canadiens can’t stop the possession.

Finally, Subban lobs the puck down the ice and Montreal manages a line change.

Gomez line is on.

Subban is playing the left side, by the way.  He shoots right.  And now he also is able to leave the ice surface.

Penguins keep the puck alive in Montreal ice.

Fifteen seconds.  One cross-crease pass.  Montreal is unable to prevent the passing and are chasing in their own zone.

Moore line.  Lapierre cruises in on the backcheck and sends it out of the zone.

But the Pens are back in.  Finally a puck goes out of play through the bench areas and Montreal gets a break.

Just under seven minutes left.  Houde says that Pittsburgh has had many shots from bad angles but that there have been a few good ones.

Pens lead 11-1 on shots.

Plekanec effects an entry.  Shot is smothered by Fleury and held for a faceoff.

Canadiens’ Gomez wins it with help.  To the point.  To the corner.  To the crease.  Gomez moves it from backhand to forehand.  Very quick.  Very gap.  Misses it.

Houde chuckles and said that Gomez moved it too quickly.  What a missed chance.

Five and a half minutes left in the second period.

Moore line.  Moore assists O’Byrne under the Montreal end line.

Puck is moved to the point.  Across the blue.  Shot.  Halak is low and creeping.  Snags it.  Freezes it.

It’s a series of plays and chalk sequences.  Squeaky marker on white board.  The Penguins have retained the puck for impressive lengths of time but haven’t been able to create horizontally.  Defencemen aren’t pinching and perhaps there will be no need for them to.

Montreal misses Markov’s breakout plays and great defensive decision-making and coverage.

Replay on Gomez’ chance shows he fanned on the forehand.  Fleury was on the other side of the cage.  He had no chance.

We resume.  Malkin and Kennedy work the end boards.  Kennedy manages to emerge from around the net and jams it into Halak’s pads.  The puck remains in the slot for a dangerous instant before it is sent on its way.

Four minutes left in the second period.  Reduced to clock-watching word-slave.

Gomez line.  Under the Montreal end line.   Kunitz.  To Guerin.  One-timer fails.  Guerin was at the mouth of the cave.

Another stoppage.

Crosby and Subban are shown on their respective benches.

Halak retrieves a puck behind his net.

It’s snarled at the point.  Dupuis comes up with it.  Shot.  Wide over Halak’s glove and left post.

Beyond.

Bergeron intercepts an errant Penguin pass and sends it into the corner for a line change.

Hamrlik has it.  Up for Cammalleri.  Too far.  Puck goes up and out of play.

Halak takes a sip of water.  He looks his concentrated, set self.

Long drive from centre ice is stopped by Fleury who biscuits it low to a teammate.

Crosby chases a puck deep.  Is muscled off the puck by Gorges.

Puck is touched too high moments later.

Crosby is up against Lapierre in the circle.  Lapierre wins it.  Puck is rounded along the boards.  To the Penguin end.

Gwins exit.  Crosby.  Left side.  Just past his man.  To Malkin.  Give and go.  Shot by Malkin is a backhander stopped at the lip of the crease by Halak.  Houde compliments the save.

Faceoff is to his right.

Subban is talking with Malkin.  He has a semi-smile on his face.  Ref talks to them.

Halak makes a great save on an around-the-net backhander.  Houde isn’t as excited as I am by that save.  Arm.

Last minute is announced.

Long pass from Crosby to Tyler Kennedy.

Hamrlik comes up with it in the corner.  Up for Cammalleri.  Left for Subban.  Driven in.  Gionta chases it.

It comes out around the other side.  Pens get another entry.  High shot, high glove save.  Halak can’t grab it.  It’s in front of him.  He makes the save on the rebound.

Gill is called.

Six seconds.

Faceoff sees the puck go down to the Pittsburgh end.  Horn goes.

Gill doesn’t agree with the call and expresses it with an “I knew it but” incredulous smile.

Pittsburgh outshot Montreal 18-3.  Maybe five, six seven medium level chances in there.

Second Intermission
Montreal 2, Pittsburgh 1

Somehow this feels like a Patrick Roy afternoon.  Something of a 1986 feel.  That spring run saw a few games where the Canadiens weren’t giving up much in terms of quality chances but were neither able to effect possession of their own.  It isn’t an ice fever fear rather a waiting for something better to happen feeling.  The other team is not doing enough.  And the good guys are just a bit behind the play but not enough to convince anyone in the rink of anything conclusive.  Like inferiority.

When Montreal did get their chances they made much of them.

Halak hasn’t been asked to make any spectacular saves.  But he has stopped the quality chances that have come his way.

Unscientific shot prediction for the third: Montreal 17, Pittsburgh 14.

Luc Gelinas interviews Maxime Talbot.  Penguins are, on the whole, a very cool team.  Skill and sportsmanship abound.  Minus your buddy Cooke.  Always some small-town Ontario guy around to ruin the fun.  Running around without a visor and yelling at refs like momma’s favourite twelve-year old prima donna.

Third Period
Montreal 2, Pittsburgh 1

Power-play resumes for Pittsburgh.  Gorges gets a puck near the blue line and fires it down.  Now the Pens set up.

Long shot.  Rebound.  Clear.  Gionta.  Gets it.  Speeds up.  Gets space.  Blasts.  Stopped.  All the pad(s).  Rebound is just missed as he swoops in.

Pens have one last segment.

Goligoski.  To Kunitz for a one-timer from about thirty-five feet.  Halak sees it all the way.  Low.  Pad.  Cover.

Faceoff is won by Pittsburgh.

Kunitz has it at the hash.

They work it around.  A shot.  Butterfly save and the rebound is cleared away.

Penalty ends.

Oh man.  Not on one.

Action continues.  High stick.

Alex Goligoski took a stick to the face.  Brunet suspects it was accidental.  It’s called, of course.

Power-play resumes.

Malkin on the hash.  Under to the corner and Crosby.  Across to Letang.  Very long pass and Letang is coming in backhanded and can’t get the stick on the puck in the way he needed.

Puck skitters around.  And is cleared.

One minute in the penalty.

Malkin.  In on the right.

Subban takes it from him.  Houde remarks that Subban has been playing very well.

Pens have to reset.

Now a spread butterfly and a post thrill the viewers.  And disappoint them.

Penalty ends.  Kunitz blasts one off Halak’s mask.  Distance shot.  Rebound is also cleared.

Lots of rebounds at this point.  Pittsburgh is using high-velocity shots.  Is it an adjustment?  Perhaps.  Montreal is on the clearing duties just fine, though.

Lapierre and Pouliot combine to enter.  But the puck is lost under the end-line with not more than two seconds of possession.

Cammalleri.  Up for Moen.

Cammalleri comes up to support on the boards.  Has it.  To Plekanec in the column.  covered too closely.

Pens are controlling.  Ponikarovsky has it, back to the goalie.  Turns and shoots.  Wide.  Very dangerous.  Thirteen-footer.

Pouliot is on again.  He shoves Leopold hard against the end boards.  Houde says that Leopold was rung on the play.  Direct translation.

Slow to get up but though woozy he makes his own way back to the Pittsburgh bench.

Action continues in the Montreal zone til a puck goes up and out of play.

Can’t the Canadiens get control and lead the play some?  I’m not sure it’s all that difficult.  Of course, the long break richly deserved and badly needed is not forthcoming.

And the impression left by Markov’s absence is dented geography, an almost undetectable extinction.  Markov, at twenty-five minutes plus per game is the best play-making quarterback on the team.

You don’t have Orr?  We don’t have Markov.

Orr would have his problems today, yes.  Hey,a you brought it up, not me.

Halak gets across for a save but Bergeron is called for holding.

Eleven minutes in the period.

Crowd is louder than the previous two penalty announcements.

Gomez and Gionta are on.

Houde utters an admiring word or three for Gomez’ continued good work on the penalty kill.  Gomez’ interruption results in an early clear.

Now Plekanec does similar work.

No shot.

Moore does the same with support.  He is taken down quite clearly by Letang.  It goes uncalled.  First clear story signet to me.

Tripping should have been called.

And another clear-out by Montreal.  Gomez and Gionta are back.

Keeping things even is such a centre of the universe idea.

Penalty ends.

Faceoff is to Halak’s left.  Montreal loses it.

Boards.  Subban.  Lapierre.  Subban falls.  Keeps the puck away from a Pittsburgh stick nonetheless.

Just over eight minutes left.

Plekanec and Moen are on.  Moen tries to block a Fleury board pass behind the net. Fails.

Gionta and Pouliot combine for a sharp shot by Gionta.  Misses the net.

Gomez line.  Canadiens are in position.  They are fine with letting Pittsburgh see what they can create on the perimeter; they just ensure they have positioning for the rebounds, missed passes and long shots that go wide.  And they live up to it.

Moore has it behind the Montreal net.  Took the puck after a good check from a teammate.

Houde remarks (again) that the Penguins are frustrated.

Fan chant begins.  Stops within three repetitions.

Turnaround chance.  Halak and his left pad.  Perhaps his best save of the game.  And he holds it for the faceoff.  Low slot turner.

Brunet has remarked on the body language of both Crosby and Malkin.  He says that they both seem frustrated. He mentioned it much earlier in the period.

Relatively speaking.

Brunet says that there isn’t an issue of lack of energy.  We are shown some stats.  Last game’s power-play compared with this one’s. Pittsburgh numbers.

Now a chance.  Crosby.  Quick turn-torque.  Big rebound.  How did that not go in?  Two Canadiens were there.  Halak didn’t appear to get across.

And another faceoff in Montreal ice.

Canadiens win this one.  Plekanec becomes a deep chaser within seconds.  Can’t come up with it on the boards to Fleury’s left.  Pens break out.

Pens enter on the left side.  Subban has it on the right.  Clears it out.

Carbon copy entry.  Subban’s exit puck fails but seconds later, the Canadiens are out anyway.  Moore enters offside on the right side.

Halak is going to get, uh, too much …

Four.

Lapierre.  Skates up.  Softlobs it into the corner.  Pyatt supports on the boards.  The two-on-two battle is lost.

Gonchar on the blue.  Wavering, weaving.  Right to left.

Now a shot.  Blocked.

Attack continues.

Swirl.  Snow.  Black hope.  Gold blunt.

Interception.  Plekanec.  At the Montreal blue.  Up for Cammalleri.  Accelerates.  Half a man ahead of his coverage.  Gets a clear shot.  Scores.

Montreal 3, Pittsburgh 1

Brunet says that there are people are already leaving the rink.  Two and forty.

Craig Adams gives Bergeron a very hard check.  Vicious-looking.  Bergeron is down.  Butt up in the air.  Trainer out.  Hands at his head.  Helmet down on the ice.

Replay shows it’s a hard boarding.  Face first.  That has to be bad for the neck.

Craig Adams.

Brunet starts to defend Adams.  Pfft.  Whatever.

Muller and Martin nod and discuss strategy.  Muller has some index-cardy things.

Maybe it was an accident.  Second replay shows it might have been.  But the initial play looked bad from this couch.

Five minute penalty.  Game Misconduct.

Montreal power-play.

Plekanec line starts.

Just keep pedaling.  And both hands on the handlebars.

Canadiens control.  Two segments.  Gill is on the point.  Defence first is the thought.  Gill is no offensive impresario.  No Orr.

Gorges is on the opposite side.

They keep passing.

Finally a shot from Gill.  Pads.  Thup.  Frozen.

Faceoff will be to Fleury’s right.  Under a minute now.

Gomez wins it.

To the point.  Montreal’s faceoffs are one of a few concerns.

Cammalleri, falling, pokes at the puck but the turnover can’t be prevented.  Penguins move it out.  Eighteen seconds.  Stopped at the blue line.

Penguins show no inclination to pull the goalie.  They also didn’t try to get possession during the penalty-kill.

That’s a different sort of team.  Now isn’t it.  Not a champion’s reaction, anyway.

Montreal 3
Pittsburgh 1

Series is tied 1-1.  Next game is on Tuesday evening, May 4th, 2010, in Bell Central.
HDS Stars: Jaroslav Halak, Mike Cammalleri, PK Subban
RDS Stars: Jaroslav Halak, Mike Cammalleri, Scott Gomez

Related posts:

1. Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Gm 6) (Delayed Edition)
2. Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (GM 7)
3. Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Gm 5)
4. Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Gm 4)
5. Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Gm 3)
6. Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Gm 1)