Montreal Canadiens vs. Philadelphia Flyers (Gm 5)

Musings and In-Game Scribbles Eastern Conference Final

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
Philadelphia Flyers

Monday, May 24th, 2010

Round Three – Playoffs (Philadelphia leads series 3-1)
Game Five (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.

Montreal Canadiens’ forward Tom Pyatt has been left out of the lineup and Mathieu Darche selected instead.   Darche’s energy will be good but he lacks Pyatt’s quickness and will have to keep his short fuse unlit.  The 33-year old Darche is a better defensive player than Pyatt and much more experienced than the 23-year old.

Montreal is 5-0 in elimination games this post-season but Philadelphia is undefeated in similar close-out games.

TSN’s (The Sports Network; Canada’s pre-eminent English language sports television station) Michael Landsberg interviewed Jacques Demers earlier this hour and Demers didn’t smile and was unusually intense in his remarks.  He acknowledged that this could be his last game as an analyst but left the door open for a time when his path crosses with hockey again.  He is going to leave RDS to focus full-time on his recently acquired role as a Senator.

Once again, I face English language telecasting with a (hoped-for) late-blooming French audio feed.

CBC manages to work bagpipes into the theme music for tonight’s game.  Excellent touch for younger viewers.

Cherry says that getting the first goal is very important.  He adds that Philadelphia is 7-1 when they get the first goal.  And I’ve mentioned that Montreal is below 0.200 when they fail to do the same.

McLean sits in a rocking chair at the ice edge and tells us that Benjamin Franklin invented it (the rocking chair) in 1760.  He juxtaposes this with Philadelphia defenceman Chris Pronger’s age and with what may await Montreal should they lose this game.

A stick lies across the arms of the wood chair.

Player introductions are made.  Very nice angle shot of the arena is followed by an equally impressive distance shot from high up in the rink.  The crowd looks bigger than most.   But it’s an optical deception.

CBC discusses the anthem singer Lauren Hart’s relations.  Hart enters wearing a country black leather jacket over an orange Flyer shirt of some kind.  She appears to be wearing two dog tags.

Her rendition of the Canadian is good but not as strong as in game one.  But she is the best anthem singer in the playoffs.  Charles is up there, too.

I think she’s nervous for her team.

Stanley Cup winners on the Montreal team include Scott Gomez, Hal Gill, Brian Gionta and Travis Moen.  Gill is on the ice.  His defence partner Josh Gorges, too.

Crowd nearly drowns out Hart’s anthem completion.  Bob Cole and Glen Healy are the booth partners and I await my audio feed.

Jaroslav Halak and Michael Leighton are the opposing goalies.  Bill McCreary and Dan O’Rourke are the referees.

First Period

Plekanec line starts for Montreal.  Cammalleri and Travis Moen are with him.  Andrei Kostitsyn should join this line in place of Moen by the mid-point of the first.

Early entry by Montreal ends in the corner to Leighton’s left.  Flyers exit.  And go offside.

Faceoff.

Plekanec wins it against Mike Richards.

Plekanec chases a puck into the corner.  Cammalleri and Plekanec work together and effect a short exchange in the deep corner.

Flyers take it away and both teams change lines.

Gomez line.  Gomez.  Down the right side.  To the column.  Gionta.  Shot.  Scores.

Wrister.  Five-hole.  Very quickly released.  So not a lot of velocity.  But enough.

Montreal 1, Philadelphia 0

Gomez line remains on for about five seconds.  Puck goes out of play under the Flyer blue line.

Healy says that this is exactly how Montreal wants to play.  The speed game.

Moore and Lapierre are on.  Hartnell is on the ice.  Shoving between Lapierre and Hartnell.  Officials intervene.  Shoving continues after the faceoff.

Puck goes behind the Montreal net.

Canadiens carry it out.  It’s turned over on a carry-in.  Flyers exit.  They enter offside.

Some boof and bang after the whistle.  Gorges and Hartnell.  Officials are there quickly.  Gorges gets up.  Dusts off.

Somewhere in there a Briere drop-pass was intercepted by Moore.

Metropolit line.  Andrei Kostitsyn is on the ice.  Cammalleri, too.

Looks like a line.

Slow change by Montreal leads to a two-on-two backhand drive by Asham.  It’s slow and the puck hops up and is whacked away by Halak.

Habs enter.  Two seconds.  Flyers play it well.

Now a puck goes behind the Flyer net.

Some bumping.  A whistle.  An official races towards the Flyer zone.  No escalation.  Kimmo Timonen is called.

Laviolette looks up at the scoreclock.  Purses his lips and a gives a slow shake of his head.

Faceoff.

Habs have to retrieve.

Entry and another retrieval.  Where’s Markov.  Surgery.  Ah, me.

Habs set up.

To the point.  To Bergeron.  Shot.  Rebound can be had.  Kostitsyn misses it.

Flyers get a three-on-two in response.

Stopped.

Deep puck.  Lost.  Flyers exit.  It’s a chase.  Halak skates thirty feet out.  Hamrlik is chasing.  They collide.  The puck floats.  Richards has fallen.  He’s sliding.  Gets up.  A stick is free on the ice.  Not Richards.  He gets up.  Hesitates.  Makes sure he has control.  Backhands it into the absented net.

Philadelphia 1, Montreal 1

Forty seconds in the power-play.

Gionta and Gomez carry-drive it in.  Flyers intercept and send it out.

With ten seconds left in the penalty the puck is lost behind the Flyer net.  And it’s slapped out.

Penalty ends.

Moore line is on.  Lapierre is on the left.  Gorges is past the hash on the left.

Flyers come up with it.  Pouliot was back on the point to cover.  Flyers are covered but a right-side entry results in a sharp-angle shot.  Hits the outside of the net.

Cammalleri gets a shot going the other way.

Cammalleri is upended moments later in the neutral zone as he attempted to keep a puck out of Montreal ice.

It’s called.  Cole thought it was an offside initially.

Commercial.  And now Pierre Houde joins to make my feed a twin induction unit.

Call is against Jeff Carter for tripping.

Replay shows the call is legit.  McCreary is one of the best and O’Halloran is good, too and they’ve decided that a slightly tight game is what they want for this period.

First wave is Metropolit with Gionta and Gomez.

They work in the corner to Leighton’s left.

It’s lost along the boards after an errant pass form the point.

Andrei Kostitsyn is on next.  Montreal re-entry.

Subban and Bergeron are on the blue.  Slow change costs the team another Flyer break.  Bergeron trips Giroux.  It’s called.  Halak makes the stop crossing right to left.

We go to fours.

Neutral zone.  Cammalleri’s pass is intercepted.  Timonen retrieves a puck in the corner to Leighton’s right.

Turnover.  Habs enter.

Pass to Hamrlik in the slot.  Backhander.  No.

Rebound can’t be had.

On the other end Montreal retrieves.  This line change is smoother.  Gionta comes up with a shot.

Leighton holds on.

Faceoff to Leighton’s left.

Flyers win it.  Mike Richards.

Gagne has it in the corner.  Flyers go to the power-play.  He passes.  Turnover.  Out.

Leighton plays a puck at the boards.  Flyers are repelled at the Montreal blue and have to regroup.  They turn in the neutral zone and can’t enter again.

Penalty ends.

Metropolit and Plekanec are on the ice.  Plekanec leaves.

Subban clicks a puck around the boards.  Hash block.  Back behind the net.  Gorges.  Stopped.

Subban supports.  Van Riemsdyk comes up with a puck at the side and swerves in front.  Shot.  Jam, really.  Halak stops it.

Action continues.  Long shot from Philadelphia.  Halak is in position and play is stopped.

Houde tells us that Philly’s lineup is the same as last game.

CBC shows us some of the scoring chances from both teams.  Giroux’ acceleration is significant.

Gomez is on.  Pouliot is with him.  Gill upends a Flyer forward in the corner.  Gionta exits on the right.  Dumps it in.

Gomez chases it down.  Puck rounds the boards.

Whistle.  Gorges is called for interference.

Houde says that the refs are very exacting to begin this game.

Flyers win the draw and set up.

Plekanec and Moen are the first kill pairing.  Pronger sends a shot long from the blue.  Way wide, says Houde.

They move the puck in swirls close to both sides of the slot.

Two decent chances.  Puck is sent out.

Flyers re-enter.

Forty seconds in the penalty.

Gagne gets a shot.  Blocked by Hamrlik.

Coburn’s long shot is repelled.  Diamond-top shot.

Puck is cleared.

Penalty ends.

Lines change.

Gill carries it up a bit and then passes it.

Moore and Lapierre forecheck and they come up with it with support from Subban.

Subban advances and I worry about coverage.  Puck is lost but support prevents an exit.  Subban got back.

Five and a half minutes left in the period.

Andrei K picks it up on the off-wing.  Tries a shot.  Tied up by Giroux.

Darche is on.  Carries it down the right side one-handed.  Pronger relieves him of the puck.

Stoppage.  Hand-pass.

It’s like public speaking.  Except at the end.  Then it gets bad again.

We resume.

Faceoff outside the Flyer zone.

Gomez and Gionta.  Gomez wins it.

It’s blasted in.  Gomez and Gionta can’t come up with it behind the net.

Long puck by Philly is called for icing.

Gomez takes the faceoff to Leighton’s left.  Puck is struggled over in the corner.  Flyers come out quickly.

Entry ends on the boards to Halak’s right.  Gorges comes up with it.  To gill.  To the hash.  Sent along.  Lines change.  Stoppage.

Timonen is very angry.  Houde says that it was very close to too many men.  And, yes, it is, says Houde.

Montreal power-play.

Third one.

Plekanec line is the first wave.

One shot.  More puck movement.  Second shot results in a turnover.  Timonen blocked it and Pronger cleared.

Canadiens re-enter.  Metropolit and Gionta are with Gomez.  Two centres.

Just under a minute.  Spacek retrieves.

Gomez down the left.  Leaves it for Metropolit.  Betts takes the puck away.  Gomez’ pass set Metropolit up a bit.

Centring pass.  Cammalleri in the slot.  Smothered.

Faceoff.  Brunet says that everything is happening in the perimeters and that Montreal needs to attack the net.

Eight seconds in the penalty.

Pass from behind the net.  Andrei K.  Great chance.

Flyer break.  Asham.  Alone.  Shoots.  Misses the shot.  Halak gets a glove on it.  Deflects high.

Flyers win it.  To the slot.  Montreal stick.  Moore and Lapierre work and come up with it on the boards.

Additional support in the neutral zone results in another takeaway.

Now Moore chases the puck into the corner.

Last minute of play is announced as the Flyers stay ahead of the forecheck.

Whistle.

Montreal possession.  Nearly a Gagne escape.  Long puck by Flyers results in icing.

Faceoff to Halak’s right.  Healy comments on Montreal having given up too many odd-man rushes.

Gomez, Cammalleri and Gionta.  Cammalleri gets a puck in the slot.  Shot can’t be had.

Period ends on a Flyer clear and Montreal retrieval.

Montreal leads on shots 9-6.

First Intermission
Montreal 1, Philadelphia 1

Demers mentions that Mike Richards scored five goals short-handed last season.  Alain Crete says that the Flyers worst enemy is the Flyers themselves.

Joel Bouchard says that their first two minutes were terrible and touches on their arrogance and adds that they recovered well from this and have played well since.

The Flyers in May.  Twenty-three years.

In the Bigot Box, Cherry is wearing a fairly somber outfit.  For him.  He shows us some good plays from Hal Gill.

Cherry follows with two replays of Arron Asham offensive incursions and then compliments Jaroslav Halak.  McLean then reads something on Cherry’s faux orders.  We are to appreciate Cherry’s prescience.  The excerpt is from a Dave Shoalts article.

Cherry delivers a mini-lecture to young coaches.  He says that Montreal made a mistake to fire up the Flyers late in Montreal’s game three 5-1 win.

A La Une.  Alain and Francois mention that Marian Hossa is making a third Cup appearance with a different team.  They discuss Chicago goalie Antti Niemi’s post-season success.  The Black Hawks are in their first Stanley Cup final since 1992 against Pittsburgh.  The team hasn’t won a championship since 1962, the longest such streak in the NHL.  Yes, longer than the Leafs 1967 drought.

Meanwhile, Cherry is showing us a fallen Canadian soldier, some super-imposed red and white flags and forlorn AM radio bagpipes are piped in.   Save it for your website.

Elliotte Friedman interviews Mike Richards.  Asks about the goal.  Nothing of interest comes from Friedman’s thoughtful questions.

Luc Gelinas interviews Scott Gomez.  Lavoie says “You guys seem too nervous or too tight as a team.”  Gomez denies it but says that the team should loosen up and move their feet and get some more shots on net.

Second Period
Philadelphia 1, Montreal 1

Cole says that Montreal gave up five odd-man rushes.

Early dump-in by Philadelphia.

Quick chance.  Backhand pass across the slot.  Montreal is not ready for it but they scramble into place.  The series could have been lost on that play.

Quick shot of Muller.  He’s listening to someone on his ear-piece.  He keeps chewing his gum, nods and then moves away.

On the ice, Plekanec enters with Moen and Cammalleri flanking him.   They lose the puck on the right side. Lines change.

The Montreal bench door opens right into the Flyer zone.

Darche is on with Gionta and Gomez.

Gionta steps into a long Flyer pass and takes it into the column.  A move.  A pass.  No sticks reply.  Beautiful moves.

Stoppage soon afterward.

Faceoff to Leighton’s left.

Habs have to retreat.

Moore line.

Long shot from Betts.  Halak kneels and parries.

Point shot from Montreal.  Puck stays snarled for a moment.  Cammalleri can’t capture it.  It floats out to the neutral zone.  And back in.

Crowd begins a chant.  It lasts six seconds.

Inside the blue.  Puck to the slot.  Asham.  Backhand to forehand.  Quick.  And in.

Andrei Kostitsyn’s pass was the turnover that led to the goal.

Philadelphia 2, Montreal 1

I shrug.  It’s a deserved goal against.  And a careless play by a player who has done nothing since game two against Washington.

Just over sixteen minutes left in the second period.

Will Martin bench him?

Pace increases to its highest level of the contest.

Flyer zone.  But it’s out quickly.  Pace climbs.  Behind the Montreal net.

Slot pass.

Richards to the slot.  Carter.  Roofer.  Perfect follow-through.

Martin calls a time-out.

Philadelphia 3, Montreal 1

Three Canadiens missed the open Carter.

Martin voices his concern.  Play resumes.  Ole, ole chant begins.  I wonder if it motivates Montreal.

Canadiens enter.  Lob shot is gloved by Leighton.  Hamrlik’s entry and shot.

Hamrlik is driving more than usual in this series.

Gomez takes the faceoff to Leighton’s right.

There is a lot of time.  For a lot of things.  I smile.

Carter enters against Gill.  Gill pushes Carter’s arms up and a whistle goes; offside.  Richards was still in Montreal.  On.  In.  Along.

Fear stops my keyboarding for about three seconds.  I hear a buzzing sound from upstairs.  And I resume.

Hamrlik is sweeping a puck to keep it in.  It escapes.  Lapierre retrieves.

Andrei Kostitsyn is back on the ice.

He works with better focus on the Flyer boards.  Puck movement results in a long shot from the point.

Canadiens stay in control.  Now a Kostitsyn pass to Subban on the point hops over his stick.  High backhand pass.

Flyers enter offside.

This is a game Montreal should have won.  Maybe not game six.  Maybe not game seven.  But this one.  Should have been Montreal’s.  It’s not the right way to go out.

Failed power-play.  Odd-man rushes.  Careless turnovers.

Somebody save our eggs.

Still more than half the game left to play.

CBC compliments Flyer mask-wearer Ian Laperriere.  Healy says he plays with the heart of a lion.

Action resumes.

Gomez line.

Richards enters on the off-wing.  Shoots.  Waste of a shot.  Halak is being tested for skittishness.

Flyer two-on one becomes a two-on-two with coverage.

Pass fails.

Canadiens are called for too many men on the ice.

Lapierre had lost his stick.  Brunet says that the play has been somewhat flat.  He adds that fatigue is becoming a factor.  He says that when you are winning the fatigue factor is not as bad.

Replay shows that Lapierre took a puck to the midsection and lost his stick.  He is now leaving the bench area for the dressing room.

Flyer power-play is kept from setting up for the first forty seconds.

Now Gill spins to his knees like a human chair and prevents a sure scoring shot from a cross-slot pass.

Now a Habs slapshot.

Healy voices concern for the Canadiens and says this would be a big kill for the Canadiens.  As he says it the Canadiens come up with a puck in the slot and send it down.

Flyers make a last entry.

Carter down the right side.  Nothing there and he keeps it going around the net.  No.

Darche exits.  Penalty is over.  Looking for a receiver on the two-on-one.  Pass is intercepted easily.  But the Flyers are called for interference.

Either you do.  Or you don’t.

Nobody knew how to beat Ron Hextall.  But I think everyone knows how to take care of the puck.  How to look before passing.  And how to run a power-play with speed and efficiency.  Now don’t they.

First wave.

Laviolette looks concerned.

Replay shows that the interference call came on the initial breakout by Darche.

Habs win the faceoff.

Plekanec.

They keep it in.  Cammalleri makes two sparkling plays to do so.

They work the diamond.  Three passes.  Shot.  Blocked.  Retrieval.

Gionta, Gomez and Cammalleri.

Long pass from behind the net to the hash is intercepted.

Fifty seconds as the Canadiens carry it up and send it in.  Flyers fire it out.

Halak leaves it for Spacek.

To Gomez.

Right side.  Just offside.

Timonen is easily annoyed tonight.  Hacks back at Gionta.  Gionta ignores him.

Nothing comes of it.

Faceoff.  Outside the Flyer blue.

Montreal entry.

Long shot.  Board work.  Subban advances.  Flyers punch it out.

Bungling on the backcheck.  Subban doesn’t do enough.  I yell for the first time.

Power-play is wasted.

Absolutely wasted.

The team’s younger players can’t respond to tight traces.  The gum falls and the shoes clop weakly.

Ole, ole chant resumes.  Get angry.  Get mad.  Do something.

Pouliot, Andrei Kostitsyn, PK Subban, Maxim Lapierre and Mathieu Darche (I don’t care if he’s 33) must better support the older players.

Asham enters.  Hooked.  Halak stops it.  Whistle.  Call.

The only young guys this team can count on every shift are Tom Pyatt and Jaroslav Halak.  Lapierre has been good in the post-season, yes.

Double commercial.  Nothing can irritate me at this point.  Hamrlik is called for slashing.

The goals are missing, too.  And Philly isn’t doing as well this game to prevent chances it seems.  But what do I know.

Flyer advantage.

Early clear-out.  Just under five minutes in the second period.

Gorges and Gill work underneath, covering well.  Gorges clears it (he’s a veteran in my book, and he’s playing very well).

Gomez has it.  Slows.  Over the blue line.  Stops.  Waits.  Winds up.  Flyers swirl.  Shoots.  Whistle.  Puck was touched high.

Gionta indicates to an official that he was hit on the forehead.

Gionta is called for high-sticking.

Brunet says it’s a bad luck penalty.

Hamrlik asks Gionta something.

Gionta is universally and quickly respected.

Two-man advantage.  Thirty seconds of it.

Plekanec is the forward.  Gill and Gorges are the defenders.

Gill is on his knees and making good defensive work from that posture.

Now a puck comes free to Halak’s right.  He’s over.

Seconds later on an exit and re-entry Halak is sharp again.  I feel some measure of relief.  If it’s this Halak, the team has a good chance.  Despite everything.

First penalty ends.

Canadiens are sacrificing.  O’Byrne (another young guy) does some magical work.  He’s bought in.  Sacrifices his dignity, his equilibrium.  It works.

Penalty comes to an end.  Gionta is in on the right.

Skating, looking and shooting.

Gionta has an empty look.  Why doesn’t he shoot now?  He goes around.  Waits.  Tries a slot pass.  Not there.  It stays in on the blue line.  Bergeron.  To Subban.  Shot.  Blocked by Betts.

Flow and fear.  To the end and the other.  Paperclips are water and blood.

Habs watch Leighton fall.  Backhand to forehand.  Where is the shot?  Smothered.  Andrei Kostitsyn.  Scared.

Period comes to an end.

Healy says only two scoring chances for Montreal and he says you gotta shoot the puck.  He adds that Leighton is looking shaky.

Second Intermission
Philadelphia 3, Montreal 1

Third period.  I won’t say it.  But I think it.  It’s a pattern I’ve seen.  Tim.

Brown.

Third Period
Philadelphia 3, Montreal 1

Early shot by Cammalleri.  Slot.  Stopped.

Halak makes a save on the other end.

Now the Canadiens enter offside.

Gomez also missed a backhand chance on a slot giveaway.  Puck nearly rolled up over Leighton’s shoulder.

Long pass is called for icing against Montreal.

Faceoff is won by Philadelphia.  To the point.  Shot.  Montreal survives.  They move it out.

Plekanec line.

Flyers play keepaway and then enter.  Left side pass.  Shot.  High and wide.

Gagne is in following a line change.  Right side.  Shot goes up off a stick, Subban’s.

Faceoff to Leighton’s left.

Gomez line.

Carter wins it.  Shot goes horizontal.

To the neutral zone.  Gill takes a puck away in the Montreal corner to Halak’s left.

Back and forth and both teams can’t retain.  Halak retrieves a puck behind his net and launches a rush.  Lapierre and Moore fail to keep it in.  Flyers ice it, however.

Halak, eyes down, clears shavings from his crease.

Flyers win the faceoff to Leighton’s right.  Long puck is called again.  Icing against Philadelphia.

Faceoff.  Plekanec.  Against Richards.

Plekanec wins it.  Cammalleri swerves with it and leaves it in the corner for Plekanec.  Flyers get it back.  Another long puck.  Icing.  Against Philadelphia.  Three in a row says Houde.

Houde chuckles.

Gomez wins the draw.  To the point.  Shot.  Stopped.  Behind the net.  Montreal can’t retain.  They retrieve.  Send it in.  They control. Long shot from Subban.  Crowd.  Stopped.  Whistle.  Crowd is appreciative.

Darche had a backhand chance stopped we see on the replay.

Lapierre line.  Flyers clear it out.  It’s stopped outside the blue line.  High hand.

Lines change and Montreal retrieves.  Bergeron.  To Kostitsyn.  Weaves.  Loses it.

Rush.  Flyers.  Asham.  Gets space.  Halak makes a statue stop.

Six minutes elapsed.  Grim.

Plekanec is stopped at the blue line.  Two Flyers crowd him.

Spacek gives it away.  Right in the slot.  Hartnell.  In.  Alone.  Backhand to forehand.  Halak.  Again.  Snow sprays and Montreal is lucky Gomez wasn’t called for hooking.

Spacek is lucky.  Just lucky.

Someone.  Do something.

Outcomes are bigger than process for this viewer all of the sudden.  Yeah, yeah.

Canadiens are winning the one-on-one battles.  Now a puck to the slot.  Sits there.  Gomez swoops in.  Shoots and scores.

Philadelphia 3, Montreal 2

Over Leighton’s blocker.  Didn’t see it.  Good shot.  Second goal in a long time.

Just under thirteen minutes.

Plekanec fires from the blue.  Rebound.  Backhand.  Pressure.  And a missed shot.  Flyers manage.

Habs are back in.

Three past the end line.  One man pinching.  Hamrlik.

Lapierre line.  Puck crosses the slot.  Flyers are hectic.  Out of position.

Hartnell gets it under the blue line.  Moves it out.

Long puck follows.

Replays shows how close the Plekanec shot came to being deflected past Leighton.  Elephant and mouse.

Faceoff to Halak’s right.

On the boards.  Asham has it.

To the crease.  Puck is snarled.  Gionta works it up the right side.  Flyers come up with it and ice.

Giroux stays on the ice.

Halak’s save off Asham’s shot to the crease is shown.  Sharp, sharp.

Subban is turning and then holds a glove to his face.

Stick.  Penalty.  Pronger.  Subban shows blood.  He is urgent.  McCreary calmly nods.

Four minute penalty.

About ten minutes left.

Gomez.

Wins it.  To the point.  Shot.  Blocked.  Sliding saver.  Cleared.

Candies retrieve.

They set up.  To Gionta at the hash.  Good shot.  High or a stop.  Stays in play.

Around the perimeter.  Slot pass.  Floats out.

Flyers work well in the neutral zone to delay an entry.

Now a clear.  Crowd expresses more appreciation.  They quiet.  We all watch.  Philadelphia stands up Montreal at the blue. Line.  Bergeron.  Across to Hamrlik.  Dumps it in.

And a turnover on the boards is cleared.

Markov, Markov, Markov.

Gomez has it.  Shot wide.  On the boards.

And out.  Off-wing shot by Richards.  Halak has to hold onto it.  Tries to flip it out but the whistle had gone.  Faceoff to his left.

Flyers are complimented by CBC on their hard work.  Brunet says that Gorges covered the Richards’ entry well.

We resume.  Puck is free in the Flyer slot.  Nobody can make a play on it.  Now it’s in the corner.

Whistle.

Metropolit is called for tripping.

Man advantage is gone.

Eight minutes left.  Fours.

Cammalleri and Plekanec are the first pairing.

They circle.  The space helps.  Flyers are still close.  Following.  Intercepting.  Giveaway by Montreal.  Now a scoring chance.  Puck is too far for Philly.

Gomez starts a rush.  Carries it on the left.  Keeps it.  Flair.  And now the puck is under Leighton who rocks backward.  Stays on it.  Whistle.

Leighton tilts his mask back.  Has some water.

It’s Norton-Holmes, mongoose and cobra, eight rough flyers with crow feathers chasing.  And one horseshoe spinning on a matte red lake.

Healey is down at bench level.  He says “no dice”.

Faceoff to Leighton’s right.

Still at fours.  Gomez and Gionta.

Subban and Bergeron on the blue.

Flyers’ Carter exits.  Covered by Bergeron.  Gionta gets back.  Pass to the opposite circle and an immediate shot.   Halak stops it and retains.

Faceoff to his left.

Moore.  Wins it.

Bungling with the puck.  Gorges.

Gets support from Moore.  Now a long puck from Gill is played by Leighton at the Flyer end line.

Ten seconds of man-advantage begin for Philly.

Just over six minutes in the game.

Penalty ends with no threat.

Plekanec line.  All the work and all the details.

Montreal plays best under pressure.

Subban supports an entry.  Now keeps a puck alive on the boards.  It’s out.  And Darche chases it back in.  Gionta stops it on the boars.  Canadiens have it underneath.  Gomez’ pass for Subban is intercepted.  Odd-man rush.

Snarled.

Habs survive.  It was a three-on-one and Gorges made the play, says Houde.

On the other end, Leighton covers.  Cole says that Gorges made a fantastic play.

Four thirty-eight.

Creation in a rustle.  Orange in the barn.  Montreal is on.

Gomez.

Loses the faceoff.

Long puck.  Icing.

Back she comes, says Cole.

Houde maintains his vigour and detail.

Habs win it.  To the point.  Across.  Windup and a shot.  Nope.

Hamrlik retrieves.  To Subban.  Bump.  Habs retain.

Hamrlik is barely able to keep up.  This time he does. Prevents a shot.

Puck bounces eerily into the crease.  Turning backhander.  Cole’s voice hangs.  Leighton stops it.  Laperriere got it says Houde.  Goalie got the paddle down on the Plekanec chance.

More water.  Flyers call a timeout.  Leighton tilts his mask back.

Laviolette calms his team.  Talks with Laperriere, Betts and Coburn.  They are intent.

Martin watches Muller and Pearn.  Gionta and Gomez skate back to the circle.  Powe discusses something with a teammate.

Three minutes.

Gainey is shown briefly.

Flyers enter.

Subban takes a man.  Gionta sacrifices himself for the possession.  Habs enter.  Gomez.  Sweeps it around the boards.

Subban is on the point.

Chance in front.  Too much bouncing.  Gionta, no.

Puck dribble-bounces to the other end.  Icing.

Bergeron inches forward, backhanded along the boards.  Turnover.  Habs retrieve.  Long puck.  Icing.

Markov, Markov, you know the rest.

Flyers win the draw.  They don’t want it.  They just want to resist.  Each puck Montreal gives them is sent down the ice.

What more do you want.

Habs are in disarray.  Puck flies about unwanted.

Gomez has it.

Move.  Across.  In.  Long.  Cammalleri picks it up. Slot high pass.  Out of the zone.

Halak leaves.

Whistle in the neutral zone.  Natural stoppage.

Faceoff.   Pronger is on.

Plekanec deep.  To Leighton’s left.

Gorges back.  Flyers comme up with it.

On the boards.

Forty-five seconds.  Flyers come up with it.  They send it down.  Icing.  Lob.

Flyers work it out.

Puck is down to the Montreal end.  Tripping.  One guy falls.  Another.  Third across the line.  Puck goes in.

The season is over.

Flyers earned it.  And proved me wrong.

Giroux celebrates.  High fives with the crowd.

Philadelphia 4, Montreal 2

Twenty seconds.

Long shot.

On the boards.

Flyers work it out.  Subban retrieves.  Halak is in the net.  Why.

Long puck.  Big horn

Game ends.

Flyer fans celebrate.  They crowd Leighton.

Subban is bent over at the waist.

Coaches shake hands.

Could have gone another way.  Didn’t.

Brunet compliments Halak.

Martin is disappointed.

Gill shakes hands, is subdued.  The teams shake hands.  Halak’s disappointment is something …

My tongue in my teeth.

Halak finally smiles.  It’s when he hugs Leighton.

Pronger is interviewed by Friedman.

Friedman is wearing a mauve shirt.

Flyers win the best-of-seven series 4-1.  Stanley Cup final begins on Saturday.  I think.  Oh. Friday, says Houde.

HDS Stars: Mike Richards, Arron Asham, Jaroslav Halak
RDS Stars: My feed left me
CBC Stars: Mike Richards, Brian Gionta, Arron Asham

There is no next game.

It would be much worse if the better team hadn’t won.  But the better team won.

Cherry says the Canadiens should be proud and that their fans should be proud and that Jacques and Kirk did a great job.  He adds that you can’t give more than what you’ve got and that they should be as proud as if they won a Stanley Cup.

What.

I appreciate the remarks.

Ok?

…

Je suis Homme de Sept-Iles.

Ils sont Canadiens de Montreal.

Thursday, October 1st, 2009 – Monday, May 24th, 2010

by Homme de Sept-Iles

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