Montreal Canadiens vs. New Jersey Devils
April 2, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles
Musings and In-Game Scribbles
My English is as good as yours, I just write these in a stream-of-consciousness mode that I insist excuses me from small things like rules of grammar or general etiquette. Let’s call it conversational English, hopped up on beans. You know what kind of beans (no, Carl Mellesmoen, not the magic ones).
Montreal Canadiens (41-30-7) visit New Jersey Devils (36-36-5)
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Game Seventy-Nine (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.
click here to expand post (it looks prettier)
Pierre Houde interviews fellow Reseau reporter Luc Gelinas on his second book, La LNH, Un Reve Possible 2. The book relays the road traveled by hockey stars Daniel Alfredsson, Michael Cammalleri, Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez, Georges Laraque, Alexei Kovalev, David Perron and Kim Saint-Pierre.
Luc may be bland but at least he’s a nice man.
The Devils are finished. Ten points out of eighth with five games left to play, the resurgent team has won an overwhelming number of games since Jacques Lemaire’s reinstatement as coach but the ride is over. Of course, they can still cause Montreal problems tonight. It’s a Martin Brodeur tradition. The wobbly Devil goalie has haunted Montreal for years.
Technically, the Devils are still alive. Mathematically.
Vos Canadiens are in sixth and in danger of missing the playoffs should they continue to struggle. Four games left and only five points separate them from ninth-place Carolina. Buffalo and New York Rangers are in seventh and eighth, respectively with 87, each. All three are playing better hockey than Montreal.
Buffalo and New York are 6-3-1 in their last ten while Carolina is 6-4. Canadiens are 4-6.
Alain Crete, Mario Tremblay and Joel Bouchard lament the lack of speed in the defensive corps, citing the hulking Hal Gill, even-kelled Brent Sopel and woodsman Paul Mara. Alain balances with the fact that Jaroslav Spacek is due back next week. His experience and greater speed has been missed.
Max Pacioretty, so viciously injured against Boston four weeks ago, is making a remarkable recovery and is due back much sooner than expected. Makes one wonder if Recchi should get an honourary doctorate. But not for long. Pacioretty cracked his fourth vertebrae and suffered a concussion from the infamous hit. The apologists will spend decades spinning this into a non-occurrence. So I have no qualms reminding readers that the league (and Dr. Recchi) failed colossally on this one.
What do they need, a death? Seems so. Bob McCown will be right. And nobody will be happy. And, hey, perhaps we’ll see a first class-action against the league. From the players. One can imagine justice.
Buffalo plays Washington tonight. The Caps are one point out of first place in the East and I expect they will defeat the Sabres. The first-place Flyers are inactive tonight.
Carey Price starts his 70th game tonight. Martin Brodeur starts his 54th. Kevin Pollock and Francois St. Laurent are the refs.
First Period
Gionta, Gomez and Darche are the first trio and they’re in for a brief possession. Subban picks up a neutral zone puck and sends it across the blue where it is deflected up and out of play.
Plekanec takes the draw to Brodeur’s right.
Devils are out. Rolston sends the puck into the right corner. Stoppage.
New Jersey’s Rod Pelley, Vladimir Zharkov and a third guy with a complicated name are all missing. I didn’t catch it.
You know. One of those names.
Montreal’s Michael Cammalleri picks up a puck behind his net and passes to Plekanec. They send it long to allow burly Travis Moen, David Desharnais and the improving Benoit Pouliot on the ice. Desharnais is scooting again. The lines change quickly and Lars Eller is on.
Ryan White and the once-speedy Tom Pyatt are with him.
Neutral zone gaffe nearly leads to a New Jersey exit.
Devils are playing a less hermetic style. They face elimination tonight. The system might be a bit different tonight.
Sixteen and the action slows somewhat.
Plekanec tries a long pass across the low slot. Andrei Kostitsyn and Cammalleri aren’t available. I wonder if it’s a mistake to separate Kostitsyn from Eller. But the team needs scoring and an adjustment or two could have been expected.
Near breakaway. Gill hooks. Penalty shot.
Devils’ Mattias Tedenby. Advances. A number of moves. Very quick. The backhand goes off the post. Price was beaten. Very fortunate.
Tedenby was the Devils’ first choice in the 2008 draft, 24th overall, says Houde. Played in the Swedish league last season. What Swedish league?
Fourteen.
Devs lob it in. Montreal young dynamo PK Subban swashbuckles and nearly loses it on the exit.
Devils ice. They exit. And they turn it over. A direct turnover. Don’t usually see that from New Jersey.
Brodeur stops action as the Habs create near his net.
I was lucky enough to see the Devils at Brendan Byrne Arena in 1987. They hosted Mario Lemieux. He had three points, I think. That rink was out in the swamp, in the middle of nowhere.
I was lucky enough to play on Lemieux’ line the very next year. Ok, just kidding. Just by keeping my stick on the ice, I’m sure I could’ve notched at least two goals through a season with Le Magnifique. Probably three.
Board battle. Kostitsyn. Cammalleri is part of it and then elects to circle around a few feet away and watch instead. Devils push it out.
Back and forth on the ice they cruise. Mara’s long shot from the blue is held by Brodeur.
We resume. So. Trade both Cammalleri and Gomez?
Some Zach Parise highlights. He’s missed the last 65 games. He’s a dangerous forward for the home team.
Long shot with a crossing pedestrian nearly gets the deflection. But Brodeur is on it. He’s seen it all.
Devils are out.
Three on two with Kovalchuk on the left, leading it. Slows. And then Gill deflects the puck away.
Montreal rush. Gionta, offwing. Backhand shot-pass. Darche deflects it in backhanded, covered and leaning forward. The two discuss it on the bench. I imagine Darche is Gionta’s kinda teammate. Serious. Reliable.
Montreal 1, New Jersey 0
Some Ole-Ole is heard in the rink. Houde notes it and adds that there was a bus or two. Reseau cameras confirm with three different crowd shots crammed with Hab fans.
Buses. I wonder if y on a les mini-lonches. Ok, lunches. It sounds like lonche when a soccer coach says it.
Why don’t the Devs just resign?
Montreal entry. Pyatt and White control for longer than we have become accustomed this season. Say about five seconds. It’s not board control, rather keepaway in the columns and some of the horizontal lanes near Brodie.
Seven and a half.
Subban and Gill. They leave Gill to do it. It’s up along the boards. Whapped back to Gill. He forwards it to Gomez. Gomez shushes ice and turns away from a forward to launch the rush from behind his net.
This doesn’t last and Montreal must regroup.
New Jersey won’t go away. No, I didn’t expect them to.
Nothing-Man passes to Kostitsyn. Shot goes high. I’ve had about enough.
You can figure out who Nothing-Man is. He’s fast becoming the Terry McDaniel of this team. Only interested in deep coverage. All other responsibilities are beneath him.
Price is across the floor. A hand goes up, a puck skitters wide and Montreal avoids the bulge. But not the penalty. I didn’t look at the back of the net, if you were wondering.
Eller. Prevented the scoring chance. Hooked Clarkson in the low slot as Clarkson came in untouched.
Faceoff to Price’s right.
Plekanec wins it. It’s passed. And cleared.
Rolston retrieves.
And a Devil falls untouched in the neutral zone and I watch for the breakout. But no. Both teams wanted to change units. Houde makes me lament as he lists the guys who are going to be free agents next season.
Devils set up. Four minutes.
Plekanec is out. Chasing the puck. Two Devils are a stride back. He gets to it. He won’t have .. time .. takes the shot on the out-sliding Brodeur. It’s….
… Stopped.
And free behind Brodeur. Snow and silence. And a scream. But the two Devs find it.
A second Hab.
Another shot. Brodeur stumble-couches to the post. And blankets it.
Three minutes. Montreal kills the rest.
Houde is still touching on trades and movement while tracking the puck all the while. Houde is one of the best sportscasters of all time. Too bad most Canadians won’t ever realise it.
Two minutes.
Moen. Up for Desharnais. Desharnais calculates. Finds. And then a shot.
Now he calculates again. What a smart player. Intercepts. Steps right into it. And in the column, he sends a shot. But Brodeur is wise to it. And he flops (yet again) and smothers the disc.
This is not your sinning pappy’s Devils.
Break.
Replay shows that the Devil breakout pass was poorly chosen.
Desharnais takes the draw deep right. Wins it. To the blue. Now Desharnais has it against two behind the net. I believe it was Gaston Therrien (Ante-Chambre post-game show) who said that Desharnais will be in the top six (forwards) next season. I agree more and more.
Devils control. To the blue. Long wrister. Seen all the way. An easy save for Price, says Brunet.
Habs win the draw.
Mild breakout. But it ends in the neutral zone.
Kostitsyn is not responding well to the new alignment. He’s infected by the Nothing Man, as well, one might guess.
Deep right faceoff.
Halpern is out for this game, by the way. So this is a return to so-called quality wingers for Plekanec. Offensive wingers, shall we say. Halpern is a good defensive player.
Montreal led on shots 9-3. But the Devils were a bit more dangerous than the numbers suggest.
First Intermission
Montreal 1, New Jersey 0
Should the visor be mandatory in the NHL, asks Alain. Mario says that players should be given independence (choice) but he agrees they should be mandatory. Bouchard says that you can introduce it this way; the newer players are required while the older players (already in the league) have the option. As time passes, eventually all players will sport the visor.
This is similar to how the helmet rule was introduced. Veteran players were permitted the option; new kids; mandatory. MacTavish (Craig MacTavish was the last helmetless guy).
Which of the following former Canadiens would you bring back to Montreal, we are asked. Michael Ribeiro, Matt D’Agostini, Sergei, Kostitsyn, Alex Tanguay, Stephane Robidas, Mark Streit are all listed or mentioned … the panel cautions viewers that there are reasons certain players left must be considered.
The only one I’d consider is Streit. He’s in New York with the Islanders.
A few nights ago Francois Gagnon suggested that the only way that Montreal could get rid of Gomez’ gigantic seven million dollar contract would be to trade to a team that needs to make it to the cap floor. The ceiling is at 59.4 million. The floor is the minimum that a team must spend and some teams are always hovering. It’s at 43.4 million.
Imagine Gomez in an Islander uniform. Hey. Gomez for Streit. Parfait. Streit is a defenceman. Great skills, national captain (he’s from Switzerland) and can play wing.
Here’s the full list; the relevant numbers are under “Cap Hit”.
Second Period
Montreal 1, New Jersey 0
Could easily be 2-1 for the home team.
White misses an open net. Qu’est-ce que White a rate, laments Houde.
Seventeen and the two teams engage in bright board battles and engage in some poor coverage besides. Things settle as Eller hops on and gets low, joining three others.
Gil pushes Tedenby easily off the puck and the Habs are off.
Gomez and Gionta fly down. Darche goes to the net. Some moxie but no quality shot.
Zubrus tries a slot pass. Tallinder follows with a windup and blast wide.
Devils have increased the pace. Stoppage.
Fifteen.
Desharnais to the net. Someone works behind the net. Puck is lost.
It’s along the boards. Turning and firing, no receivers. Now Price makes a save at the muzzle.
Eller down the right. Pauses, over the blue, sends it across. No.
Out and then in.
All the sugar panes fall off the windows now. Both teams are up and down, in and across, speed and flume.
Cammalleri has it. It’s in. Except it’s not. How did that backhand not poke twine?
He flew in, a puck was given to him and somehow the responding backhander hit Brodeur. The shot angle was off. The goalie had no idea where it was. All from flying, flags and Rome. New Jersey is a sort of Rome. No?
Replay does not clarify it for me. Somehow Brodeur got his pad across. But where was the puck. A Devil defender stood and whapped right to the slicing Cammalleri. Who whacked it. Once and backhanded. A certain goal gone.
We resume.
The hand goes up. Montreal zone. Rolston. Hooking. Houde and Brunet thought it was Wisniewski. Houde says that both could have gone.
Montreal power.
A break, then. The lucky kind.
One clear.
Desharnais falls making a play and the puck leaves the zone.
Next entry ends on the right side.
One minute.
Wisniewksi fires a puck and it hurtles toward the corner camera. They keep that look for a second longer than is usual and we are treated to a UFO-like apparition as the brittle disc hurtles towards us.
In the meantime, Montreal sets up. Devils are positioned and they kill the rest of the advantage.
Crowd comes alive. Go Habs Go is heard. And the Devils fans respond. It’s the loudest the bowl has been all night.
Brodeur’s achievements are listed. Some trophies. Some medals. And so forth. Roy’s better.
And Hasek was better than Roy. C’est simple. Just watch the film.
Gomez to Gionta. Shot from the hash. Wide.
Eight and a half.
Cammalleri takes another late-shift break. Puck leaves his three-foot radius and he’s done again. And he goes to the bench. Kostitsyn tried to get it to him. It was into coverage and a tough puck to come up with. But the minimum wasn’t enough.
Price covers up and the first gathering occurs. Martin Brodeur is shown. He’s looking a bit feathers and steel. Watching from a distance. Focused. And I’m reminded that the team faces elimination.
Gomez to the net on the right. His offwing. Goes to the forehand as he gets close and is stopped.
Another Gomez entry. Gionta does the work to take a puck away from a man and Cammalleri does the non-work needed to allow it to escape. And a stoppage.
Well, it started off well. Gomez talked about learning French, said all the right things and had captaincy in mind. But oh. And oh my. And oh my goodness. It happened slowly.
He was booed for the first time last week. And now it’s perhaps only a matter of time. Has he given up on the idea? He continues to keep an apartment in New York and some media members say that his heart is still in New York. So, off to the Island, sir. Maybe it’s best for all.
A Pouliot shot is handled on the offwing. Faceoff is won by Jacob Josefson. Fraser blasts it in.
Four minutes. Montreal boards. Pouliot and Palmieri tangle on the boards. Pouliot’s stick is up in the air again. And I’m reminded that he takes too many careless penalties. This time nothing happens.
Eighty-three penalty minutes. Fourth-highest on the team. And this guy doesn’t fight, either. Fight majors are five minutes each. Montreal has more minor penalties than any other team in the NHL. It’s a bit beyond help. And forgiveness. Well, almost.
Plekanec crosses the blue and winds and slaps a puck out of play.
Earlier, Price let a puck between his pads. But the puck slithered to the end boards.
Now Jay Leach takes a penalty for delay of game. Puck went up and over the glass in the area one doesn’t want.
Leach swears but takes his seat in a kindly manner. Poor little guy. Lemaire is shown. He’s a bag of anger.
Montreal power.
Subban shot. Puck is up in the air. Kostitsyn flashes a dagger in the crease. No. Brodeur.
Cammalleri. In the slot. Huge shot. No. Kostitsyn kicks it to his stick. Can’t be had as Tallinder dives to interfere with the attempt. Legally.
Period ends six seconds later. Montreal led on shots 14-9 for a total of 23-12.
Second Intermission
Montreal 1, New Jersey 0
I flip to CBC momentarily and realise what a monolith, monster, mammoth game I’m missing. Toronto (out of the playoffs) against Ottawa (out of the playoffs). How important. What a great sports broadcasting decision. The people in the other departments must constantly be amazed at the lack of intellect in the hockey area.
Technically, Toronto can still make it. But, um. It won’t happen. The Leaves are five points out of eighth with four games left in their schedule. They also have Carolina ahead of them in ninth.
Sure, the Ottawa and Toronto markets are important. But consistently showing the compelling games is the winning method in network television sports. Cue the NBA and NFL affiliated networks.
Buffalo scores to tie Washington 2-2 and I muse that hoping for teams to lose is not a winning attitude. Control your destiny as they say.
More highlights.
The Devils came into tonight’s game with a 23-3-2 run in recent memory. But a more recent 1-4-1 slide has ruined things. The team started the season 10-29-2 and so this could have been one of the more compelling season-ending storylines but. Yet it’s still not over.
And it is the Devils. They are one of the three best teams over the past fifteen years, winning three Stanley Cups and maintaining a high performance level, overall.
Third Period
Montreal 1, New Jersey 0
Lemaire has quite a few age spots. I’d hate getting age spots.
Price plays a puck on his boards, just over Elias’ stick. Montreal enters. Right side. Kostitsyn. To Plekanec on the hash. To Subban in the middle of the blue line. A blast. And it’s in.
Montreal 2, New Jersey 0
What an important goal, stresses Houde. It’s a joyful relief. His tone.
Cammalleri is on the ice. Doing a bit to get the puck up along the boards. Now a Subban long pass fails for Cammalleri.
Subban retrieves. To the blue. Intercepted. Price makes a mild glove save.
Sopel ducks a stick and pucks up the puck. Pouliot has it. Backhands it. And it’s out of play.
Eller delivers a check as the puck leaves. Devils retrieve.
Forget all that. Habs are in again. Gionta. Right side. Speeding. Sends it to the slot. And Darche deflects it in. Just past Brodeur. Just caught the inside of the post.
Canadiens are going to end the Devils magic run.
It’s a form of fair. Devils have shut Montreal out in the Bell Centre too many times to endure.
Montreal 3, New Jersey 0
A win. A loss. A win. A loss. A win. A loss.
Just win the game sevens.
Fifteen.
Adam Mair tries a shot. Then he shoves a man into Price after the play. Well after the play. Mair is a selfish player.
Shoved Sopel. White came in to get him.
White and Mair are both going to go.
Martin doesn’t like it. But he’s not too upset. Again, the score tempers things.
Martin doesn’t impose his will on a game or a team. He responds to what is needed. Is that enough?
Four and four.
Cammalleri reaches but can’t keep a puck in play. Lines change.
Gill and Subban leave to allow Wisniewski and Hamrlik on the ice. Hamrlik hasn’t been praised much this season but as it turns out he is one of the most important players on the team this season. All the injuries to Montreal defencemen combined with his steady play has been remarkable.
Fours come to an end.
Double-chanting begins anew.
Devils enter. They’re “battling” as their coach sometimes says.
Under twelve.
Montreal matches the rhythm. Forget all the Vezina talk for Price. He may get the shutout tonight but his save percentage and overall play aren’t enough compared to Lundqvist, Thomas and the others. He’s going to get talked up and part of the reason is his pedigree. Nobody likes forgetting those Olympic goldians. The Canadian junior anointed.
Price gives one to Zajac at the hash. Hamrlik corrects this gaffe.
Plekanec to Cammalleri at the muzzle. Stopped.
Now Brodeur shows his true colours. Goes after Plekanec. After the whistle. I’m sure Plekanec was whapping at pads. Regardless. Certain people love your buddy Martin Brodeur. He presents well. And he followed the hard to like Roy. So he gets some plaudits. Saying you’re a Brodeur fan also excuses one from disliking most of the other Frenchies. Now doesn’t it. And he’s got the nice guy demeanour.
But don’t be fooled.
His team, his season are ending tonight. Some use it as a reason, an excuse. Others don’t. He’s not in the latter category.
The fans are shown. They are rather disconsolate. Chemical Brothers’ Galvanize low-booms through the arena. The team has served its fans but the goals didn’t come. Not yet, anyway.
Habs lead 27-15 on shots.
Eight and a half.
Price makes a save. Long slapper.
Clarkson doesn’t like Gill’s post-whistle bump. Shoves Gill in the crest two times. Gill watches him. It fades off.
Seven minutes. Devils control. Darche clicks the puck off Tallinder’s stick and the Devil’s need to retrieve.
Another Price save. Deflected shot. Bent in the slot.
Faceoff to Price’s right. Desharnais hunkers over, plants and works. And the puck emerges on a Montreal stick.
It’s around and forward. Back in Montreal ice.
Six and twenty.
Devils are spending too much time. Two men in the crease. I can feel it. Around. And around. And then the backhand pass to Kovalchuk from Elias to Kovalchuk at the side of the net.
Montreal 3, New Jersey 1
Anything is possible. And this is what happens when … you know. Standing around.
Five minutes.
Darche curves and carries. Long puck. Andy Greene has it on the right side. Devils work it back in.
At the hash.
Gomez. To the right. Here’s a three on two. Gomez. To Darche. The shot. And it’s out.
Lou Lamoriello is shown. The GM boss is the Horus of NHL magnates. And I wouldn’t mess around, buddy.
He seems more resigned than Lemaire. Lemaire is at the bench, thunder in his countenance.
Under four.
Plekanec. Takes a pass and forks. Puck is lost but the work is done, says Houde, lines are able to change.
Long Montreal puck is called for icing. First Montreal icing of the night.
Montreal bench is shown. Not a lot of joy. Nor a lot of talk. But it’s one moment of thousands upon thousands.
Winning breeds unity. Remember?
Under three.
Eller chases Greene behind the New Jersey net. It’s out. But the puck goes out of play in the neutral zone.
Some coaches pretend. Jacques Lemaire is never pretending.
I find myself wondering, not for the last time, what might have happened if Lemaire had been the man behind the Montreal bench instead of Martin. Lemaire met with Gainey that summer. But it didn’t work out.
Under two. Devils jam it against the boards. Parise is on the hash.
Brodeur is still in the net.
Lemaire is not going to pull the goalie, says Houde after wondering for a moment. It’s not the first time we’ve seen Lemaire do this, he says.
He’s not happy with the team’s performance.
They don’t deserve the bail-out. Bail yourselves out. Fair enough.
Price leans forward and readies for the draw.
This better not be our last win of the season.
If so, I will enjoy this.
Right now.
Faceoff to Price’s right. Ole ole chant again.
Devils win it. To the blue. Shot. Now in the corner.
Habs exit quick, quick.
Cammalleri is in. A shot. Brodeur. Rebound. Cammalleri takes it and gives it to Plekanec. Two defenders are back. Plekanec shot is wide.
Eller loses the subsequent draw.
Devils manage one long lobber.
Crowd is cheering. They stand for their team as the game ends. Martin shakes hands with Pearn. Muller shakes hands with Pearn.
The game ends.
Final Score
Montreal 3
New Jersey 1
HDS Stars: Mathieu Darche, David Clarkson, Brent Sopel
RDS Stars: Mathieu Darche, Carey Price, Brian Gionta
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