Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Gm 3)

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
host
Pittsburgh Penguins

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

Round Two – Playoffs (Series tied 1-1)
Game Three (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.

I’m like Fred Biletnikoff.  I’m like Glen Hall.  I’m like Matt Dunigan.

I like how the PA announcer articulates PK Subban’s introduction.  And towel-waving is a bit macaroni.

The announcer says that we will be honouring Canadiens’ players Hal Gill, Paul Mara and Scott Gomez by listening to the American anthem.  His hint works.

And it’s a good idea.

Charles Prevost-Linton sings a strong version of the Striped ode.  We should introduce a lyrical third-version.  I have some ideas.

Brian Gionta was mentioned as well.  Tous Americain.

When I was younger, we’d hear the Canadian national anthem before every class over the school PA system when I was a student at Flemming Elementary.  And later at St. Lawrence school in Brossard.

Halak and Fleury are the goalies.  Kevin Pollock and Brad Watson are the refs.

First Period

Plekanec wins the faceoff against Evgeni.  What a cool name.

Early entry is ended for both teams.  Wait.  Pittsburgh keeps their entry going for six seconds.  Shot from Gonchar.

Moen droops (yes, droops) back to pick up a puck and effect its journey into Pittsburgh ice.

Swoop shot is neutralized by a Montreal offside.

Metropolit is back.  Maxwell is out.  Again, I suspect that Metropolit is nursing an injury.

Offwing entry by Sidney Crosby sees a wide backhand shot and a quick stoppage for a net crash.  All are ok.  Gorges’ spill.

Faceoff.  Weird bounce.  Houde’s voice rises.  No Penguins present to convert.

Pyatt and Moore enter.  And the puck is flooped out quickly.

Cooke and Kennedy work the boards deep in Montreal ice.

Pyatt picks it up.

Two men to the puck.  Habs are set on avoiding an 18-3 shot deficit.

Plekanec line.

Gorges to Bergeron.  Long pass.  Intercepted by Crosby.

Now Cammalleri shovels a puck from the side boards.

Pens take it in after a brief Montreal exit.  Shot.  Gloved.  Backhand.  Halak.  Faceoff.

Popeye help me and us now.

Lapierre is shown sur l’ecran.  Game face.  Sip of water.  On the bench.

Faceoff is won.

Subban exits.

Harmless puck is scooped by Fleury.  Pittsburgh wins the faceoff.

Ponikarovsky is taken down.  Whistle.  Neutral zone.  Booing.

Houde says that the series will increase in intensity.  Some bumping after the whistle.  Subban was digging for the puck under Ponikarovsky.

No flags.

Habs win the neutral zone faceoff.

Habs aren’t flying as I thought they might.  Playing a cautious brand.

Brunet says that there is a bit of nervousness on both sides.

Deep faceoff to Fleury’s left.

Metropolit is asked to leave the circle.  Wingers are Andrei Kostitsyn and Tom Pyatt.

Interesting.

Reminder line again.

Exit and a reset.  Montreal works the deep boards.  Kostitsyn is alertly supporting.

Continued good work on the boards, with Bergeron pinching, results in a Pittsburgh tripping call.

Metropolit was taken down by Goligoski.  Looked as if Metropolit fell over the stick.  Hard to tell.

Gomez is on the first wave.

Faceoff won.  To the point.  Subban winds up.  Holds the pose.  Stick back on the ice.  Now he winds up and shoots.  Huge rebound.  Shot.  Wide.

Habs have to reset.

Cammalleri is in the high slot.

Bergeron sends a puck to Cammalleri.  No.  Crowd is delirious.

Subban.  Shot.  Big one.  Stopped.  Eventually captured.  Crowd expresses aural delight.

Faceoff.  Fleury’s right.

Forty seconds.  Second wave.

Plekanec, Pouliot supported by Hamrlik and Kostitsyn and Gorges.

They work it in.

And Pittsburgh comes up with and clears.

Penalty ends as the Canadiens are repelled in the neutral zone.

Malkin has it underneath.

One way.  The other.  Pass.  Habs close to the puck adroitly and are able to move it out.

Letang retrieves.  Pass.  Intercepted.

Moen is in.  Left side slither.   To the slot.  Across and nothing.

Moore is in with Lapierre in the corner.  One Penguin.  Cooke adds his efforts.

Battle continues.  Bergeron is way up.  Pouliot covers for him.

O’Byrne and Bergeron are the pairing.  Oy.

Another Pittsburgh entry attempt is snuffed.

Two Montreal entries.  Second one is sustained.

Gionta sends the puck along the end boards.  Gomez and Cammalleri have a sync-up interrupted in the corner to Fleury’s left.

Puck drifts to Fleury and he covers it.

Commercial.

Brunet says that Subban was the most-minuted defenceman last game.  For Montreal.  Compliments his hockey intelligence and lively presence.

Dupuis and Crosby are bedeviled entering.  Pittsburgh defenceman Mark Eaton has to retrieve behind his net.  Skates high and tall.  Long puck goes out of play.

Deep pass now by Pittsburgh.  Dupuis and Kunitz enter on the right.  Threat ends quickly.

Crosby blocks a Gionta shot from the under-circle.

Malkin entry is chopped.

Hamrlik sends it up the left boards.

Lapierre makes a nice move.  And another good piece of stick-work.  O’Byrne comes up.  Way up.  Past the hash.  Gets the puck and creates.  Montreal defenders are up consistently.  They intend to create longer offensive possessions.

And it’s working as with nine minutes left in the first period, Halak has yet to face a quality shot.

Subban.  Behind his net.  To Gomez.  Falls.  Sends the pass to his left in the Montreal high slot, anyway.  Leads to a Montreal entry and a covered off-wing backhand shot that is gloved and held by Fleury.

Ad-point.

Letestu enters on the right following a Pittsburgh won draw.  Shot.  Rebound.  Shot.  Two good positional saves.

Canadiens exit and get a wide shot.

Crosby down the middle.  Gill stands him up and monkeys him down.  Puck goes to the corner, harmless.

Whistle.  Lapierre is called for goalie interference.  Extended his leg to trip the goalie.  Good call.  Ugly penalty.  I shake my head.

First wave sees Malkin, Letang, Gonchar and Crosby.

They work it in.

Seven seconds of control.  Long shot by Gonchar.  Aren’t they all?  (Please don’t swoop, please don’t swoop) Blocked in front.  Defenceman.

Next entry sees Halak play a puck out from the top of his crease.  Long shot forces Penguins back.

Next entry is about five seconds snarled at the top of the left circle.

Another entry sees Hamrlik fire a clearing puck out.

Lines change.

Kunitz is on with Leopold, Kunitz and number twenty-six.

Penalty ends on the Pen entry.

Pens continue to control for four more seconds and then are moved out.

Gomez in on the right side.  Drop pass.  Cammalleri.  Wrister.  Hits a leg.  Gomez has it behind the net.  Loses the puck.

Pens fire a puck long from just inside the red line.  Icing.

Plekanec loses the faceoff.  Penguins dump it in.  Halak retrieves it and gives it to Bergeron underneath on the left.

Bergeron trundles left and sends a long pass for Moen.  Slot pass fails.

Rupp works deep now.  Puck gets to the point.  Goligoski fires wide.

Canadiens send a puck down for a line change.

Pyatt is on the ice.

Andrei K intercepts a pass but can’t get a rush going.  Puck comes back to him.  Now the Canadiens pressure in the slot.  Repulsion.

The pressure resumes quickly.  AK sets up Pyatt.  Second time.  Nope.  Crowd is in fever.

Finally Gorges has to retrieve.

Pouliot effects an entry down the middle.  Tadpole strides.  Loses the puck.  Gionta gets it.  Off-wing shot.  Stopped.

Pens survive and move the puck down the left.  Leisurely puck slides to Halak who holds it for the faceoff to his left.

The pace has settled into a Montreal mood.  Looks like some of their better regular-season games.  They can’t get long possessions through stick-handling and speed to the same degree.  So they possess with a bright transition game and by closing to pucks with girded support.

Muller is interviewed.  Needless.

Faceoff to Halak’s right.

Cammalleri talks to his centre.  Indicates a breakout spot.  Puck goes there.  Cammalleri looks like a seer.  He has it.  Enters.  Wings dip.  He’s in.

Point-blank.

High.

Wow.

He picks up in the corner to Fleury’s left but no further squiggles are added to the equation.  Play is whistled.

Moore line.

Lapierre is in from the corner.  Stickhandles into the crease.  Shot.  Thought I heard a tink sound.  Houde says that Fleury got a piece of it.

Stoppage.

Lapierre got his chance as a result of Moore’s initial take-out of a defenceman.

First man in takes the man.  Second guy gets the puck.

Gomez has it when we resume.

Right side.  Pass to his left and Pouliot.  Shot is contested.  Goes wide of a reaching Fleury.

Canadiens reset.

Gionta works in the corner.  Plekanec comes in to support as Gionta leaves the ice.

Cammalleri and Moen are on now.

Entry.  Some long cycling.

Gill advances past the hash unwatched.  Sends it along the endboards.  Pass can’t be made.  Siren goes.  Small crowd.  No animosity.  Just a few words between Letang and Hamrlik.  Letang had knocked down Hamrlik at the siren.  Under the end-line.

Shots on goal favour Montreal 7-3.

Big improvement.  Very few quality chances.  One by Pittsburgh.  Maybe three by Montreal.  The Cammalleri chance was a nine.  The other two might be sixes.

First Intermission
Montreal 0, Pittsburgh 0

Crete says he thinks it’s the best period by the team in this series.  Might be, yes.

Demers says he likes the desire to get to the puck first.  Bouchard says that Pittsburgh has committed too many turnovers, seen too many missed passes.

Gagnon has bought into the “greatest player in the world” tag for Crosby.  Lapierre said earlier this week that “Crosby, right now, is something of the greatest player in the world.”

Media members and fans should be cautious and remember that a player’s first job is to win games.  Being honest about an opponent is not part of the job description.  Buttering up Crosby is a better route than denigrating him.

Datsyuk and Zetterberg both are better than Crosby.  There are others.  Ovie comes to mind.  But Ovie is being judged by a team outcome and his detractors will continue to do so til he is a member of a Stanley Cup-winning team.  It’s unfair but expected.

Second Period
Pittsburgh 0, Montreal 0

Gomez line against Malkin’s

Malkin wins it.  Penguins’ Gonchar dumps it in.  Quick shot from a wrap by Pittsburgh.  Hard to tell.  But Halak got over.

Habs exit.

Puck goes out of play after some veering in the neutral zone.

Gomez line is replaced by Plekanec’ line.

Plekanec wins the faceoff.

Letang retrieves it in the corner.  Pens enter.  Kunitz has it, loses it, has it again.  And finally loses it.  Work was in the circle to Halak’s right.

Cammalleri has it down the right side.  Shot.  Nope.

Penguin entry.  Horrid pause in the slot.  But a Pen is taken care of and so is the puck.

Pace and patterns have become more constricted and cautious from Pittsburgh.

Canadiens’ resulting entries are one on two types with space but little support since the forwards are playing very low.

Weaving exit attempt sees Kostitsyn reach for a long puck in the neutral zone.  He can’t get to it and the Canadiens have to reset.

Right side entry lasts about three seconds.

Play stays on the perimeters til Rupp moves horizontally across the neutral zone with the puck.  He loses it at the boards to Pouliot.  He high-taps it and then leaves it for Gomez to enter.  Left and deft.  But no quality chance results.  Faceoff.

Four minutes elapsed as Letang carries it up the left from behind his net.

Canadiens repel.  Moen and Plekanec effect a chase deep.  They can’t retain the disc.

Now a long Montreal puck results in a faceoff to Halak’s right.

Houde says the Bruin series is long from over despite the 2-0 lead for Boston.

Plekanec and Gorges combine to win the faceoff but Kunitz comes up with the puck on the boards.

Dupuis is alone with the puck on the boards for about two seconds.  Gorges gets over.  Moen, too.

Penguin possession continues.

Crosby has it.  Works up top.  Leaves it for Gonchar.  Long shot.  Save.  Halak saw it.

Gill made a mistake on the sequence says Houde.

Puck is sent out.  Pens reset.  Lines change.

Cooke tries a middle entry.  Three Canadiens defend it and the puck goes to the corner.

Lapierre and Pyatt combine deep to control and then Pyatt shuffle-strides with it to the crease.  Penguins close the gaps.

On the other end.  O’Byrne falls under the blue line.  One man in.  All white.  All right.  Halak.  All alone on the white island.  Golden sand shot.  Good positioning.  Mercy is an ivory grain dune.

Faceoff soon afterward.

And another stoppage.  Crosby is getting two of every four Pittsburgh shifts now.

Ad-point.

Crosby is still on the ice.  Gorges checks Crosby.  Puck is exited.  Fedotenko retrieves.  Leaves it for Orpik.  They work it down the right side.  Gill and Gomez challenge Fedotenko and come up with the puck.

Breakout.  Pouliot.  Drop-pass.  Shot.  Nope.

Subban chases it in the Montreal left corner.

Exit is stopped on the right.  Penguins’ line change allows Montreal to change as well.  Subban waits for it all to develop.  From behind his net he launches the attack.

Penguins close to the puck.  Plekanec, Cammalleri and O’Byrne have only a fraction of a second to make plays with the puck deep.  Finally O’Byrne’s shot goes out of play.

Moore line.  Lapierre loses the faceoff.

Letestu enters on the right.  Cooke supports.  Lapierre and O’Byrne are battling.  Canadiens get it out.  Pyatt down the middle.  Forced to pass to his right to Lapierre.

Turnover.

Penguins enter.  Right side.  Penalty.  Bergeron tries to draw a Penguin response penalty.  Cheap.  Fails.

Moore is annoyed with Kennedy and complains to the ref.  Cooke is being taken off the ice.   A ref has a grip of the back of Cooke’s jersey.

Bergeron picked his target well.

Lapierre will be penalized.

Crosby is back on the ice.

Martin is mildly amused with his arms folded.  A smile is faint on the corners of is mouth.

Lapierre and Bergeron both go for roughing.  Penguin power-play.  I’m missing a piece.

Just under ten minutes in the period.

Red sends it out.

Pens set up again.  Quick movement.  Crosby at the point.  Pass to the slot.  Bien pense.  Nope.

Lob-out now by Montreal.

Moore is on with Moen.  Good pairing.

Hamrlik is active low.

Pass stays in the trapezoid.

Moore gets out.  Left side incursion.  Crowd is needlessly noisy.  Moore brakes.  Back to the defender.  Looks.  Finds Subban.  He is covered.  Pushes the puck deep.  Gets back.

Pens enter.

Power-play ends.

Pens continue their control.

Long puck by Subban results in icing.

Lob had a bad parabola.  Nice thought, though.

Faceoff is to Halak’s right.

Talbot wins the faceoff.  To the point.  Shot.  Smothered.

Faceoff to Halak’s left.

Ad-point.

Replay shows some good work by the Montreal penalty-killing defensive turret.  Four corners and an iron visor.

Seven minutes.

Montreal has space.  Long pass.

Three Pens are low.

Two passes.  Pens exit.  But again with so many forwards committed they are able only to effect a covered two-on-two.  Failed left-side pass ends the entry.

Subban.  Up for Andrei K.

Entry lasts seven seconds.  Good jump.  Pittsburgh is leaving more gaps.  Canadiens have the Pens out of their game one and two offensive game-plan and benefit from changed passing lanes.

Pens enter.

Adams.

Cooke.

Goligoski.

Perfect play.

Halak just got over.  Inverted butterfly.  Stoppage.

Halak tilts back the iron and sips some water.

Faceoff is to Fleury’s left.  I missed something.

Pens send Ponikarovsky in on the left.  Just enough space to shoot but no angle.  Halak cradles low.

Ad-point.

Bouchard rubs his hands together and discusses a finer point of the game.  He is down in the Pierre McGuire area.

Plekanec line.  Habs win the faceoff.

Canadiens are allowed to stay ahead of the play by Pittsburgh.

Letang and Plekanec have a mild discussion as they skate to their respective benches.  Both are shaking their heads in disagreement.

Gomez line.

Gomez brakes, turns and fires it in.  Pens pick it up.

Talbot and Subban are watched by Gomez.  Malkin joins.  He is tripped by Gomez as he escapes to the crease.  Should have been called.  Why isn’t the crowd booing?  What hypocrisy.

Moore line.  Lob entry.  Lapierre and Moore work together.   Lapierre whacked a puck from the blue line to behind the net where Moore had a three second possession.  Pens exit.  But they are sluggish now.

What is wrong with them?

Crosby line is on.

Dupuis has some pepper.  In on the right side.

Dupuis continues some good work on the boards.  Retains.  Back to the defence.  Fires a pass.

Puck ends up on the point.  Pens are working much better.  Crosby is alone in the circle.  Shot.  Halak.  Good save.

Last minute is announced.

Dupuis is working as if it’s the beginning of his shift.  Pittsburgh works like a veteran boxer at the end of the round.  Working the judges.  This is champions’ work.

Lines change.  Pens retain.  Montreal is called.  Delayed whistle.  Pens get a sixth player on.

Crowd is booing throughout.  They work it, passing along the perimeters.

Holding on Gill.  He held Crosby.

Ten seconds in the period.

Pens control.  Pass to Malkin from the scoring circle.  Misfires.

Puck goes out of play.  Replay shows that Halak made his best save of the night.

Off the faceoff, siren goes.

Crosby sticks someone after the play.

Hamrlik goes after someone.

Gorges and Letang drop gloves.

It settles after about eight seconds.  Crowd yells “Crosby sucks”.

Replay shows that Gionta whacked Crosby on the back of the head.  Crosby is fairly upset.

Gorges is talking with the ref.  He’s smiling that half-smile.

Pittsburgh leaves the period with a 13-3 shot advantage.  But this time the numbers are less damning.

Ad-point.

Second Intermission
Pittsburgh 0, Montreal 0

Alain informs us that Gorges registered a roughing penalty in the post-period melee.  Demers chuckles, shrugs and says it’s still zero-zero.

Demers shows us Lapierre’s chance and confirms that the puck hit the crossbar.

Montreal has changed the complexion of the on-ice spacing and have also gotten themselves into the Penguin brain.  These kinds of changes are what some boxers spend early rounds earning and middle rounds benefiting from.  Rounds 9-12 and then 13-15 are yet to be defined.  Yeah, boxing was once fifteen rounds.  Yeah, I’m from the seventies.

Ad-point.

Detroit’s goals are shown.  They lead San Jose 3-1 in tonight’s other game.  San Jose’s goal was scored with 1.6 seconds left in the period.  An under-pad shot that Jimmy Howard should have had.

Ad-point.

Each commercial sequence thus far has featured at least one car ad.  Amazing.  I had never counted to this point.  Advertising is a form of wave hypnosis for the dominant ideology and is vaguely underestimated.

Crosby is interviewed.  He can speak French but the interview is in English.  Crosby has adopted the Gretzky interview persona as do many hockey youth.  It’s contrived.  And somewhat irritating.

Third Period
Montreal 0, Pittsburgh 0

Gorges and Gill have a small discussion in the penalty box.  Letang is alone in his.  Waters himself with the green plastic bottle.

Guy Carbonneau is in the arena bowl.

Canadiens win the faceoff.  Subban’s bowl rider caroms out of play.

Faceoff to Halak’s right.

Plekanec wins it.

Comes up with it outside the Montreal blue line and whips a puck to the left.  It’s a turnover but kills a few seconds.

Malkin, Kunitz and Crosby are on the first wave.

Halak makes a save on a long shot.  Crosby was crossing and may or many not have tipped it.

Pens win the faceoff to Halak’s left.  Crosby.  Sends a pass.  Dangerous.  And Subban dives to deflect it.  It looks spectacular and Houde’s voice matches the play.

Pens keep working the puck around.  One-timer from about thirty-eight feet out.  In.  Malkin.

Nicely done.  Five-hole off a possible deflection.

It’s Malkin’s fifth goal of the playoffs.

Pittsburgh 1, Montreal 0

Plekanec line is on.

They’re in.  But a cycling attempt by Kostitsyn is intercepted.  Fleury plays the puck behind his net.  Montreal comes up with it again.  Cross-ice pass.  Nope.

Pens send it out.

Bylsma looks mildly pleased.  One knee up.  He tends to stay in the same mode through games.  Calm.

Yeah, I like him.

Pens effect some control.

More assertive to the puck.  Moore line against Cooke’s.  Pens force Halak to capture and freeze the puck.

New lines for the faceoff to Halak’s right.

Gomez.  He is asked to leave the circle.

Gionta loses it.

Bergeron stumble-bumbles in the corner and somehow the Canadiens come up with it on the other side.  Gomez.  Gets a rush going.  Ends at the side of the Penguin net with no shot.

Fedotenko has it deep.  O’Byrne muscles him off the puck.

Puck is sent deep.  Lines change.

Plekanec line.  The centre follows his own puck into the corner.

Penguins send it along.

Another entry ends with no possession under the Pittsburgh end line.

Metropolit gets on the ice.  Cammalleri is still on the ice.

Malkin goes around the net.  One hand on the stick.  Scooters.  Finally loses it.

Now Malkin is in on the right side.  Controls but can’t create.

Subban and Hamrlik do good work to move the puck out on the left side.  Pyatt chases the puck into the Pittsburgh zone.

Cooke is in on the right.  Turns the net.  Sends a pass to the crease backhanded.  Only two Habs are there.  Moore carries it up and turns it over in the neutral zone.

Lapierre chases a Bergeron puck into the right corner.  Gomez tries to support.  Penguins exit.

Thirteen minutes or so.

Gionta enters.  Gomez and Pouliot hadn’t left the zone yet.  Offside is called.  Gionta expresses some frustration.

Another vehicle commercial.  Hoot-a-harping-nanny.

Montreal only has eleven shots on goal we are told.  Gionta has six of those.  Cammalleri has two.

We resume with the Candians carrying it up.  Yeah, Candians.  I like the sound of it.

You could say Candyans, too, I suppose.

Plekanec line.

Andrei K goes up against Malkin in the corner.  Outworks him for the puck.  Yup.

But an eventual slot pass can’t be reached.

Moore line now.  Canadiens increase the pace.

Lapierre and Moore lose puck battle against three Pens.

Bergeron gaffles a bit with the puck but, concentrating comes up with it.  But the Pens keep it in and Bergeron’s following error results in a mild shot against Halak.

Faceoff.  Halak’s left.

Gomez wins it.  Whacked to Subban.  Three passes.  Low turning squeal by Subban and a pass moves the puck out, finally.  But the Canadiens are forced to retrieve again.  And now a stoppage.

Deep in Pittsburgh ice.

Candies win it.

Shot from Gionta comes from the work.

Stopped.  High circle power-shot.

Ten minutes left in the period.

Pens are happy to keep it on the perimeter and protect the lead.  This decision is to Montreal’s advantage.  Montreal will get their chances.  And if they score once, they will cascade to a crowd-burst dam-ride.

Pens have set themselves up to lose the series.

Bettman is shown up in one of the special areas reserved for the gouda people.  Three other gouda dudes are up there.  They’re having a pleasant chat.  Bettman looks as relaxed as I’ve ever seen him.

Lapierre enters down the right.  Tries a long slap-snap shot along the ice.  Wide.

Gionta enters.  To Gomez on the point.  Long shot is neutralized.

Canadiens keep it in.

Cowboy line.  Gionta to the Kovie area.  Cammalleri hammers it in his knee-golf style.  Great save.  Great shot.  Great pass.

Good hockey.

Seven and a half minutes.

Canadiens are carrying the play.  Pittsburgh is hanging on the ropes.  They’re testing their shrewdness.

Subban retrieves a puck.  Accelerates.  Gratifying.  But he loses the puck as he enters.

Pen penalty goes uncalled according the 21,000 auxiliary referees.  Work continues by both teams.

Gionta sends a weird pass into the back of his own net.  Canadiens exit anyway.

In the corner.  Two on two.  Gomez falls.  Houde thinks it’s accidental.  Now he realises that it’s a penalty.  Against Pittsburgh.

Bylsma takes a sip of water.  Screws the cap back on.  His expression is the same but I imbue it with a “this is what I expected” sense.  It’s on his penalty-kill unit now.

Ad-point.

Replay shows that the penalty is legit.  Lemieux and his wife stand.  Both are concerned and very still.

Initial faceoff results in a clear.

Five minutes.

Gionta, Cammalleri and Gomez are the first wave.  Subban and Bergeron are the defencemen.

Markov’s injury has not yet been clarified.

Stoppage.

Brunet advises patience for the Canadiens.

Faceoff is to Halak’s left.  Canadiens win it and enter on the right.  Immediate fire-out by Talbot.

Seventy seconds.

Gomez from Subban.  Drives in and lobs it to the corner.

Point pass goes out of play.  Actually it was a failed Pittsburgh clear-out attempt.  Ref is quick to say it’s legal, Houde says.

Martin calls a timeout.  Houde says it’s a good time for it.  He says it allows Montreal to keep the same players on the ice.  Nothing is said during the time out to the players.  One encouraging phrase from Muller.

Plekanec is on with Gionta and Cammalleri.

Canadiens win the board battle.  Cammalleri has it.  To the point.  Back to Cammalleri.  Point pass is a turnover.

Re-entry.  Perfect play.  Cammalleri to the slot.  But it fails somehow.  Houde is hectic.

But the penalty ends.

Gorges shoots as it expires.

Now a pass from the endline ends in Fleury’s pads.

Fleury made the beautiful game-saving stop on the pass from Cammalleri (and crease arrival one-timer by Plekanec).  Spread pads, full extension, full quickness.

Three minutes left in the period.

Andrei K sends it in on the right.

It’s out again.

Turnover from the neutral zone.  Backhander by Kostitsyn.  Badly thought.

Long puck from Pittsburgh now.

Icing.

Faceoff to Fleury’s right.

Some replays.

We are very much in the middle of the series though this is the close-out portion of this game.  The tenor has changed.

What will Montreal do with it?

Last two minutes.  Montreal enters.

A Penguin falls on it.

We really miss Markov right here.

Hamrlik swoops in.  But no quality chance can be created.

Kennedy has it deep.  Tries to kill a bit of time with some back and forth.  Works for about four seconds.

Halak leaves the net.

Canadiens enter offside.

Letang and Gionta decide to ignore one another.  Another time.

Bylsma remains calm.  Says, go, go, go to nobody in particular.  Folds his arms.

Crosby wins the faceoff outside Montreal ice.

Canadiens retrieve.

Twenty-three seconds.

Montreal entry is rebuffed.

Dupuis comes up with it.  Shoots from outside the blue line.  Scores.  Empty net.

Pittsburgh 2, Montreal 0

Houde and Brunet highlight some of the positives.

The rest is a formality.  Lapierre takes a penalty.

Pittsburgh 2
Montreal 0

Pittsburgh leads the best-of-seven series 2-1.  Next game is Thursday, May 6th at Bell Central.

HDS Stars: Jaroslav Halak, Pascal Dupuis, Marc-Andre Fleury
RDS Stars: Marc-Andre Fleury, Evgeni Malkin, Brian Gionta

Canadiens played well.  Pittsburgh have had to adjust.  Montreal must find more offence.  I sense the reinstatement of Sergei Kostitsyn.  And let’s have the word on Markov.

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 2)
6. Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (Gm 1)