Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators
April 10, 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 (43-30-7) visit Ottawa Senators (31-39-10)
Thursday, April 7, 2011 – Delayed Musing
Game Eighty-One (score posted following scribbles)
Missed it? Musings capture the game in writing. A written transcript typed during the game, posted and edited about thirty minutes afterward. Based on the RDS French telecast of the Montreal Canadiens game, Musings take about 20 minutes to read. More detailed than an article, fresher than a looping highlight and good with morning coffee. Or late-night chocolate. A unique way to re-experience the game.
click here to expand post (it looks prettier)
I’m late (by three days) but I have my reasons.
Montreal defenceman Jaroslav Spacek is in the lineup for the first time in weeks and Alex Auld, Montreal’s backup goaltender gets a rare start tonight.
The Canadiens clinched on Tuesday night against Carolina.
Benoit Brunet says that twenty-goal scorers are hard to find. He says this in support of Andrei Kostitsyn’s meagre output this season. It’s a positive sentiment that overlooks a disappointing start to the big Belarusian forward’s season. And perhaps it’s fair to spin it this way. Following a reported talk with head coach Jacques Martin, Kostitsyn’s performance and production both improved significantly. He is now one of the few consistent offensive players on the team. He may be an x-factor once the playoffs start.
EJ McGuire is honoured prior to the faceoff. He passed away from cancer. A moment of silence is asked for and provided. One or two yahoos in the crowd choose this moment to yell out a whoop.
Some guy in a military outfit sings the anthem. He has the comic deportment of an officious buffoon. He has a great voice, though. What vocal strength.
Goalies are Auld and Craig Anderson picked up from Colorado Avalanche. Greg Kimmerly and Kevin Pollock are the refs.
First Period
Two minutes elapsed and both teams are pushing a good tempo.
Pyatt over the left side. Tries a long, high shot. Gloved and held by Anderson.
Faceoff to his right. Eller loses it.
Into the corner. And out.
Montreal’s Lars Eller turns in the corner, deep right and sends the puck along the end boards for winger Andrei Kostitsyn. Too far.
Ottawa’s surly, burly and talented Jason Spezza shows more fire and fury than I’ve seen from him in months as he carries down the right side. Houde mentions that Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson is absent tonight, his season over.
Montreal’s third centre David Desharnais starts his shift with a turnover as he keeps around the Ottawa net but the puck is back in quickly and he gets a second possession thanks to defenceman Roman Hamrlik. Desharnais avoids a collision and scoops the puck from behind the net, turning to pass it to the point.
He reminds me of (former Canadien captain) Saku Koivu on the sequence. Small man with vision, patience and a pleasing coordination of skating stride and passing acumen.
With twelve minutes in the period, Desharnais is back on the ice and an advancing Hamrlik is the beneficiary of a Desharnais pass. Houde praises the play and I sense, not for the first time, a tone that hints at complicating elements in the Desharnais story this year. Is his presence unintentionally divisive? I wonder.
The pace gets faster. It’s clean hockey, hard skating and with almost no pause. Scott Gomez’ entry on the left and a mid-range slapper is a simple short side save for Anderson.
Not too many turnovers, either.
Auld gloves an offwing entry shot by Erik Condra.
Seven minutes.
Habs enter but a Kostitsyn-Cammalleri combo fails to register on net. Now a skirmish in the slot, the stick kind, sees Cammalleri reaching with intent but unable to corral and shoot.
Ottawa follows with what Houde calls the team’s best presence of the period. Auld is able to make the play.
Gomez line.
Puck goes out of play after the offence fails to keep the puck in the Ottawa zone.
Should a coach pay the price for a team’s poor performance? More and more, general sentiment; public and media-based, seems to suggest, yes. The reasoning is that it’s easier to fire a coach than to fire a bunch of players.
Ottawa is called for delay of game. Montreal power.
Puck goes out of play immediately. Ottawa’s Chris Phillips acquires the puck on the ensuing faceoff and clears it. Andrei Kostitsyn is called for a stick swipe. Retaliatory gesture.
Beat It blazes over the rink speakers and the teams go to four on four for about ninety seconds.
Five minutes in the period.
Subban tries an entry. Uses his stick-handling, maneuverability and size to retain against single coverage. Retains. Passes. Decent shot results.
Lines change.
Another Montreal rearguard entry; Wisniewski. Loses the puck against two men at the hash.
Fours come to and end with Gomez and Pouliot on the ice. Pouliot’s shot is gloved by Anderson.
Some Spezza action is shown. He’s committed and energetic tonight and has upped his game in recent weeks. We’re shown highlights of a recent four-point night against Philadelphia Flyers.
Spezza is one of those rare(r) athletes who combines great size with great agility. When inspired, he is one of he3 NHL’s best, physically. Strong shot, good skating and, most alarming for foes, great reach and stickhandling quickness.
Time drains away as the Senators appear to slip a notch, perhaps lacking in oxygen, perhaps in conviction, as Houde now suggests.
About thirty as Gomez and Gionta fail along the boards on the deep right.
Into and out of Montreal ice and the teams nearly relax into the period but for a near Subban giveaway near his net; spins and avoids Neil and then continues.
I can only imagine what Clouston was up against. Let’s hire him as an assistant. Not likely, I know.
Montreal led on shots 12-8. Brunet provides the usual dumbed-down analysis; not a great period for either club. No reasons provided why.
First Intermission
Montreal 0, Ottawa 0
A La Une. Francois. Where’s Alain? Hey.
Not happy about that. Francois is asked by one of the other hosts about Tim Thomas. We’ll be hearing enough about Tim Thomas in the coming several days.
Francois moves on to compliment Phoenix’ Keith Yandle. We are told that Selanne has 78 points this season. And then Lidstrom and Dr. Recchi are discussed. All is positive. The old men cometh.
The forgotten stars talk continues as Francois underlines Dan Bylsma, Jacques Lemaire and Barry Trotz.
Marc Denis informs us that Desharnais logged four minutes and that his great strength is his peripheral vision. Just four minutes? Denis continues and says that as the playoffs approach, blah and so on and so forth.
Yeah, yeah.
Joel critiques the four on two and says that he could have done better by passing to trailer Paul Mara rather than shooting. I feel a sense of growth as I realise that I wondered at that myself, during the period. Joel adds that this is what happens when scorers are struggling; they shoot more often in order to compensate and sometimes miss the bigger picture as a result; missing the open plays for others.
Second Period
Ottawa 0, Montreal 0
Plekanec line.
Not a lot of emotion tonight nor ambience, says Brunet.
Seems to be a lot of good effort, to me. Both teams.
Kostitsyn tries a slot shot and sees it gloved. Nice backhand pass from Plekanec.
Gomez line. Faceoff is lost deep right.
Gionta is not putting in the effort again. On the forecheck.
Auld plays a puck behind his net.
Gionta with a nice entry and drop pass for Gomez. Gomez keeps and weaves to the net. A backhand shot through legs and from in close is negated. It’s a brief, bright moment of hope. But Brunet adds that as soon as Gomez got the puck, he stopped skating and thus became easier to stop. Brunet says it was a good chance but that Gomez could have done more with what Gionta had created for him.
Now that was worth saying.
Brunet says that Spacek’s work becomes difficult to evaluate as Ottawa’s intensity hasn’t been very high. Fair enough.
Sixteen.
Kostitsyn was stopped. Brunet provides yet more analysis, relevant analysis and I am impressed with his focus on adding details. What’s going on? Growth, it seems.
Another stoppage.
White, Mara and Desharnais work for one another and the short, brisk passing that got them into the zone isn’t forgotten as they continue to search one another out and provide targets and passes for one another. A long Mara pass is well-thought but the Ottawa backcheck seems to match the effort and the nine-second, mostly vertical presence comes to an end without a shot.
Moments later, a stoppage. And two very insulting commercials. Oh. Make it three.
Golf is advertised by RDS, now. Convocation music accompanies and I’m even more disdainful than normal for this non-sport that owes its popularity to television and unathletic business types. Sure, there are exceptions. But that’s all they are. Exceptions. The rule is: golf is not a sport.
Andre Benoit is called for hooking. Plekanec closed to the net, blowing by the smaller defender.
Montreal power.
First segment sees Cammalleri as the hub-man on the hash. Puck is moved until an advanced Wisniewski is found and his shot is the best scoring chance for the visitors tonight.
Second minute is inconsequential.
We return to fives. And Montreal youngling Yanick Weber hauls down Bobby Butler.
Ottawa power.
Weber is playing at the wing spot tonight and Houde says that he may not be used to playing in this spot. I assume he is attributing this to the penalty; an offensive zone infraction that was unnecessary.
First segment is neutralized by Montreal.
Gionta and Desharnais are up top. Spacek and Mara down low.
One long shot. Auld sees it and the point slapper is caught at the crest and retained for the faceoff.
Seven and a half.
Pyatt and Plekanec are up top. Gill and Subban low.
All four are in and out of their respective box corners.
Now a mild shot is stopped by Auld.
Penalty ends.
Gionta bursts out with Darche and Gomez. Left side entry. Drop pass. Wisniewski blasts the puck. Rebound. Gionta makes the net bulge.
Montreal 1, Ottawa 0
Twenty-seventh of the season for Gionta. That number sounds a lot better than 26. Strange, isn’t it?
Six minutes.
Ole, ole chant begins. It’s the loudest it gets in an enemy arena. Ottawa is a short bus ride to Montreal.
Faceoff to Auld’s left.
Brunet notes the shots on goal, 18-13 in favour of Montreal and says that the Montreal effort is adequate, just enough to overcome Ottawa. He is mildly disapproving and is stating it as he sees it.
Again, fair enough.
Four and a half.
Another short Montreal entry results in a puck out of play.
Price is shown. His hair is getting long and there is something in his bearing that convinces me that he has changed for good. This is his team. Or it will be. Like him or not. And as he grows into his role and has become a conscientious and consistent performer, I find it easier to be in the former group. Yes, I changed tenses in that last phrase.
Blah, blah, blah.
Auld covers up in his crease and earns a sticker from Houde. Maybe his best save of the night, says the play-by-play impresario.
Two and a half.
Gill’s size and accompanying immense strength allows him to absorb several vain blows from a forward in the corner and the puck is moved along the boards and out.
Well, my hockey re-apprenticeship shows more and more, how vast the gulf between knowing and, uh, not knowing there is for me. This sport. This right-brained game that turned out to be as rote as I thought when I was younger. Yet where the geniuses are concerned, those of the highest on-ice pedigree, the game does become something more abstract, less about speed than about creativity. Yet it’s the ascension from the speed game that allows those geniuses to create.
I can explain.
Really.
Period ends. More of the same. But Ottawa led on shots 12-5. And they lead 20-17, overall.
Second Intermission
Montreal 1, Ottawa 0
The great pressure on Gionta has been relieved. So some of the analysis goes.
Third Period
Montreal 1, Ottawa 0
Plekanec trio. Faceoff is lost but an immediate Ottawa turnover leaves the puck in the neutral zone.
Sens enter. To the end line. Spezza is there. Sens support him on the boards. They outwork the Habs and the goal comes. It looks easy. And Spezza has it.
At the doorstep. Too much standing around. And a rejuvenated Spezza means one more threatening team in the East next season. Ottawa has been eliminated from this season’s post-season.
Ottawa 1, Montreal 1
Both teams are alive. Ottawa as a result of the goal and Montreal in response to Ottawa’s resurgence.
Desharnais is low and the constriction of lanes by all Habs leads to a slot turnover. White carries but keeps it too long and he, too, turns it over. Whistle. And offside is called.
Francis Lessard, a newcomer to the Sens, is discussed. He’s a Montreal native.
Pyatt is hit and hurt in the corner. It’s Lessard, exclaims Brunet. Very dangerous hit. Saw it and mashed Pyatt’s head into the boards. Pyatt goes to the dressing room.
Ugly.
Montreal power. They called it a five minute advantage.
First minute is a wash.
Gionta and Darche combine. A near thing. Now a Gionta shot from the muzzle. Into the smoke.
Three and a half in the power-play.
Ottawa rush. Auld is across and the trailing coverage cleans up.
Two and a half. The goal should be to score early in the power-play. It’s too easy to get casual on a long power-play.
More Keystone.
The best chance comes late but Cammalleri’s point-blank shot and subsequent rebound are both stopped.
Penalty ends.
Chris Neil tries to start up with Subban but Gill and Gomez are both there. And the officials. Gomez continues to talk and bluster. Neil has cross words in return, his gap-toothed grimace promising cruelty. Gomez isn’t worried.
Maybe he needs the outlet.
Ten and a half.
Since January 11th, Ottawa’s last game against Montreal, a 7-1 Canadiens win, nine new Senators have arrived. Brunet says that aside from Anderson, none have had any impact. Houde replies that one must start somewhere. And I find myself musing an Ottawa fan’s recent comment that the team shouldn’t have fired Clouston (ed note: which the team did a few days following this game). This fan felt that Murray should have been the one to go.
Me? You know that I’m for certain players leaving the scene. Those malcontents that cost Clouston his job.
Faceoff deep right. Cammalleri loses it but chases immediately and evinces a good beginning of shift groove.
A Gill shot on the keep-in goes up and out of play.
Nine and a half.
Plekanec and Kostitsyn are in on the left. Cammalleri goes to the net. Subban keeps it in on the hash. And now a second time. Shots start to come. Subban wheels and deals from the blue. Turning, searching but a turnover follows. Habs are in chase mode as the lines change.
Sens dump it in. Spacek stands with it and waits. Now he launches the rush.
Eight minutes.
Sens dump it in. Michalek loses the disc to Spacek on the hash. Short rush by Montreal. Long shot. Easy stop.
Action continues as Wisniewski and Hamrlik take the ice.
Desharnais line. A bounce, a near-turnover and the puck is out.
Long Ottawa puck is called for icing.
Somehow Chris Neil is growing on me. I have no excuse.
Deep left faceoff.
To the neutral zone.
Seven minutes.
Pyatt on the left. Works it in on the left. Still playing hurt, I gather. Not today’s injury but the older one, the one that has hampered his speed.
Six minutes.
Cammalleri won’t work for the lead pass and Plekanec is forced to throw it into coverage. It bounces back to Plekanec and he finds Cammalleri in space. Back to Plekanec in the high slot. Vertical pass. Kostitsyn. A chance. But coverage and Anderson are both on it.
Moments later Auld covers one of his own.
Five minutes.
Condra carries for a long time and finds his way around the net before a turnover ends my irritation.
Four and a half.
Neil is on the ice and loses the puck to Pouliot on the Montreal blue.
Four minutes.
Spacek touches a long Ottawa puck triggering a faceoff.
Desharnais manages to recover the disc and send it to the blue. Where it is missed. Desharnais is accompanied by Pouliot and Eller. Pouliot has played a very strong game and seems to be finding a new element.
His determination is shown in his puck protection and willingness to give a bit more than the others.
Butler enters. From Spezza. Harangued by Gill as he crosses the low slot. Holds, holds, resists, retains. And shoots. In.
Outstanding goal.
Ottawa 2, Montreal 1
Martin is beside himself.
Two minutes.
Montreal can’t keep it in the Ottawa zone. Auld finally leaves as Subban carries it over the blue and deep. And a good chance results. But the puck is cleared and icing is called.
Neil and Spacek meet under the end line but Neil is too experienced to want more than a clean finish.
Montreal time-out.
Faceoff to Anderson’s left. He’s decent as I recall. Talks with a teammate. Instructions of some kind.
Habs win the draw.
Kostitsyn and Gionta combine to keep the puck in.
On the hash. Across. The shot. The bulge. Cammalleri.
Montreal 2, Ottawa 2
Low circle finisher. That’s where he’s at his best, says Brunet. Eleven seconds on the clock.
Period ends with no further developments.
We go to overtime.
Montreal led on shots 11-9. Ottawa leads 29-28. The Alouettes and Rough Riders played two games to that final score in 1986. Montreal won the first in Lansdowne in week four while Ottawa won the other in Montreal. They played two other games as well, that season.
James Hood, baby.
Overtime
Ottawa 2, Montreal 2
Plekanec and Cammalleri.
Cammalleri is too casual and it finally results in a good shot by Ottawa. Auld gets across.
Subban carries through the neutral zone.
Gomez and Gionta are on. Gionta takes it away from hale. Puck rounds the end boards. And Ottawa exits.
Butler. To the point. Shot. Kuba. Scores.
One point.
Wisniewski talks things over with the ref. It’s Kuba’s second goal of the season.
Puck went in off the post.
Sens salute their fans. They gather at centre ice and raise their sticks. It’s their last home game. They have one more against Montreal. Vos Canadiens have one more against Toronto. I hope to muse it tomorrow.
Final Score
Ottawa 3
Montreal 2 (OT)
HDS Stars: Jason Spezza, David Desharnais, Benoit Pouliot
RDS Stars: Filip Kuba, Brian Gionta, Bobby Butler
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