Montreal Canadiens vs. Nashville Predators

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 (6-7-2) visit Nashville Predators (8-5-2)

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Game Sixteen (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)

It isn’t Tuesday but we hear that beervert voice again to introduce the matchup.  Gargling sand.  Barrrry Trrrotttsssss.

Scott Gomez is back tonight.  He’s designated to play on the fourth line with Petteri Nokelainen.  Both are centres.  We’ll see how they occupy the ice.

Plekanec, Pacioretty and Gionta will be the first line.  Palushaj, a Hamilton Bulldog call-up, remains in the lineup.

No word on Andrei Markov.

Young plug-in Mike Blunden is back in Hamilton.  But Reseau impresario Pierre Houde and colour-man Marc Denis say that the infirmary is beginning to empty and Markov’s name is mentioned along with highly-skilled but currently nicked Andrei Kostitsyn.

Montreal’s power-play remains in the league’s bottom five and Markov’s return will eventually mean a doubling in their 12.5% conversion rate.

Montreal’s shots-for to shots-against ratio remains amongst the league’s best, 32.0-26.9.

Alain Crete’s Movember whiskers are nearly invisible, silvery as they are.  The big desk.  Mario Tremblay and former Hab forward Benoit Brunet.

Josh Gorges is the Canadien’ best defenceman, says the Blueberry. Tremblay says his game-vision is outstanding.  Seeing the play.  A Gorges sprawl to save an out of position Carey Price is shown. Puck under his stomach against an … opponent.

Benoit’s mustache and hair-cut are a bit Hitlerian.  I can’t think of any other famous figure with that visage, though it was a popular look back in the day.  Ah, those fabulous forties.

Rocket Richard got his fifty in 43-44.  A war year.  But if there’s an asterisk for him, why couldn’t anyone else do better?

Too much hair product for Benoit.  Steven Hauk?  Bruno Kirby, rather.

Peter Budaj starts against Pekka Rinne.  Rinne is his usual sterling self this season.  Dave Jackson and Brad Watson are the refs.

First Period

Mike Fisher, Martin Erat and former London Knight and Montreal Canadien Sergei Kostitsyn (brother of Andrei) start for Nashville.  Plekanec, Moen and Gionta.  Not Pacioretty as had been suggested by one or the other beat people.

Sergei is buzzing, takes the pass in Montreal ice, fires into the corner and chases it.

Canadiens get to it first and they clear.

Faceoff to Budaj’s left.

Preds win it.

Budaj is on his stomach and play is whistled.  But the disc was free.  The early decision spared Budaj, badly compromised.

Two minutes gone.

Smithson delivers a hit.  In vain as the puck is out and the Canadiens make their first entry.

Gomez hops on the ice for the first time.  Three gone.

Gomez and Smithson and Gomez collide in the right corner.  Pass from Gomez to Nokelainen.  Hit part of the puck.  No velocity.

Plekanec.  Keeps it going by swooping in and carrying on-handed around the net.  To the blue.  Two more seconds but it’s out.

Habs are back in.  Preds give up a lot of shots per game and I wondered how that would look.

Quality of shots.  In fact, Nashville’s shots to shots-against ratio is one of the worst in the NHL.

Short, crisp passing from the home team, so far, though.

End to end.  Palushaj.  Hit behind the net.  Passed to the crease.  Rinne slops it all up.  And a supernova on his plastic head, besides.  Blue paint splash on silver.  An intriguing design.

Faceoff.  Habs control.  Eller.  One arm.  High shoulder.  Back to the goalie.  Looking like Sundin again.  A skinny Sundin.

And the cycling draws a hold.  Smithson.

Montreal power.

Seven of fifty-six.  Twenty-fifth in the league.

Early control.

Weber is found.  One0tine.  Rinne falls.  Pucks is free beside him.  Pacioretty can’t make the deposit.

Cleared.

Habs flub about and are followed by Nick Spaling and Matt Halischuk.

Two stops at the blue

Plekanec carries.  Short pass for Gomez.  Two past the end line.  Cammalleri picks it up on the right hash.  To Diaz.  Along the top of the mountain.  Long shot.  Stopped.  Tootoo clears.

Twenty-five seconds.  Subban carries to the red line and shoots it in.  But it’s all over and the yellow-coated Preds have it under their blue, two defencemen alone as the Canadiens change lines.

Wilson is over the blue on the right.  Offside.

The power of suggestion.  This time it’s Poors Light.  Bad beer.  The better the commercials, the worst the product. Overheard that recently.

Replay.  The Weber one-timer.  He’d advanced nearly twenty feet from the blue line, just a bit to the left.  Offwing shot.  I like the idea.  He’s more accurate than Subban.  Less powerful, perhaps.

Eller, Palushaj and Cammalleri.

One long interception.

Blum has it on the right.  That’s a good name for a defenceman.  Simple.  Unremarkable.

Plekanec and Moen under the end-line against two.

Canadiens get a bit ahead of their opponents.  Blum is unable to take one away from Plekanec under the end line and then retreats to the post to Rinne’s left.

Finally the pass attempt comes and is smothered by the home team.

And they win the draw to Rinne’s right.

To the corner blue.  Four men stanch and poke.  Slowly into Montreal ice.  At the right hash.  To the blue.  Not much room.  Weber shoots.  Out of play.  Shea Weber.  Much lauded and wearing the C for captain.  He’s another example of a much-ballyhooed Canadian defenceman who specializes in turnovers.  But he may improve.  He has a powerful shot.  But there’s much more to defence than shooting.  Defence comes to mind.

Under ten.

Desharnais floats left to right under the end line and swifts a pass to a sudden Palushaj.  Whiffed?  Missed?  No goal, either way.  White blurring and held breath.

Canadiens start a rush.  Plekanec and Gorges combine to start but Gorges’ pass to mid-ice is ticked away.

Moments later, Rinne stops a puck preceded by a small avalanche of players.

Holds on for the draw.

It was a save.  Right leg pad.  The Palushaj shot.  He’d joined action, uncovered.

Gill and Diaz.  Gill beaten on the left.  By Fisher.

Fisher continues.  Keeps.  Seemingly tripped.  No booing but a stirring in the smattering, clattering crowd.  It sounds like a busy kitchen.  Their fans are renowned.

Turnover.  Outside the Pred blue.  Two on one.  Cole.  Has it.  Down the slot.  Pass intent.  Doesn’t even look at the net.  To Desharnais.  Receives, forehand to backhand, Rinne spins to the ice, Desharnais jams it in on the backhand, braking in the crease.  Off his skate, the replay shows.

It’s accidental.

They wait for the video judge’s decision.  Headset over helmet, the ref talks into a small mike.  He’s at the scorer’s table.  And a man resembling a young, skinny Michael Farber stands smiling with a Roy jersey.

Number 23, Brad Watson says it’s a goal.  He’s one of the two refs.

Just over six.

Montreal 1, Nashville 0

Subban elects to carry deep.  Pass fails.  Subban stays dep.  Can’t create or retain but sends it back along the boards forcing Nashville to reset.

Long puck.  Lines change.

And it’s out of play from the Montreal blue after a turnover and deflection into the crowd.

Sidney Crosby is the star of a Bon Matin bread commercial.  He speaks in French, talks about hard work and eats a turkey sandwich.  Or ham, perhaps.  Or maybe some Yves Veggie slices.

Five oh five.

Weber nearly loses an exit pass in his skates.

Spacek and Weber combine to keep the puck from the Preds.

Sudden chance.  Five feet from Rinne and wide.

Lines change.  Gap.  Sergei down the right.  Offwing.  Wide.  Four men in a square were back and the space was underneath the square.  There’s never enough time to aim in this game.

Michael Cammalleri talked about shooting at areas earlier this week.

Here’s a holding call.  Plekanec.  Held Erat in the neutral zone during a puck scrum.  Resulted in Montreal possession and the replay confirms it’s the right call.

Nashville power-play.  One of the worst of the league.

Canadiens’ PK has gone from struggling to decent (85.9).

One chance.  One Budaj.  One minute.

Second segment.

Preds control and tighten the formation.  Another chance.  Habs clear after a misfired musket.

Penalty ends with the earnest Preds working, working, working but the Canadiens staying ahead of the play somehow, anticipating, one leg low and a knee from Moen, another blocked shot and a clear.

Penalty expires.

Gionta takes one from Francis Boullion.  Houde says the former Hab lost footing.

Replay on a Gil leg low to block a pass.  Blum was waiting alone at the muzzle (crease corner).

Nashville sets up.  Klein’s shot is off the back boards.

I wonder if Price is bored.

Habs recover.  One pass, a quick second.  Cole down the right, defenceman in front of him.  Lanes close.

Puck stays on the perimeters.  Period ends.

Montreal led on shots 8-4.

Good first period from the Canadiens, says Denis.  Fair enough.  Some good hockey from the home team, as well.

First Intermission
Montreal 1, Nashville 0

The 1-3-1.  Should the league do something about it?  It’s a defensive system.  It’s boring to watch.  But it wins games says Tremblay.  Devils won in 95 using the trap, a trap many believe then-head coach Jacques Lemaire invented.  Tremblay was not on his staff that season but has served with Lemaire as an assistant, most recently with the Minnesota Wild.  Both were on the dominant Canadiens team of the seventies (six Stanley Cups that decade).

Tremblay says what we want is Stanley Cup rings.  He shows off a particularly garish model.  It’s on his wedding ring finger.

Is he married?   What does his wife think of this ring positioning.  It’s the only one he wears.

Colette Germain.  His wife.

Second Period
Montreal 1, Nashville 0

Plekanec line.

Preds win it.  Passed back.  Montreal forecheck stalls progress on the right hash.  Pass attempt is into skates in the slot.  Nashville gets out.

Sergei.  Fisher.  Ranging up the hash.  Dropped for Suter.  Shot.  Blocked.

Gill takes one shot.  Hunkers over to the other side.  Makes another play.

Another Montreal entry.  Rinne is down.  Reaching.  Missing.  A teammate clears.  Subban stops the weak puck at the right point.  Quickly across to the other.  Shot.

It stays out but there’s more trouble for the Preds after the faceoff.  Delayed call.

Budaj leaves the net for the sixty attacker.

Habs can’t ‘control.  Touches a Pred.  Whistle.

Palushaj was interfered with.

Hooking.  Tripping.  Holding.  One of those.

First segment ends quickly.

Plekanec retrieves.  He’s on the right point as the Habs set up.

Cole has it behind the end line.  He’s so much bigger than his listing.

Pacioretty to the net.  Shot-pass by Desharnais goes up and out of play.

Erat loses the draw.  Gomez.  Cammalleri.  Gionta.  A quick reward from Martin.  And hope.  It’s the old cowboy line, the three biggest names brought in during the Centennial offseason.

Stoppage.  Faceoff to Budaj’s right.

And the cowboy line gives up the first goal.  Short-handed.  Gionta loses the draw.  To the blue.  Across.  And pinged in off the post.

Nashville 1, Montreal 1

Nashville crowd seems disbelieving at first and unwilling to crow too loudly.

But the smattering sounds spread.  It doesn’t get very loud overall.  But certainly louder than the Saddledome.

Four gone.  And so is the penalty.

Subban is slightly out of position.  Skates to get back.  Extends the stick.  Can’t prevent the pass. And Budaj snakes the pad to make a nearly routine stop.  Difficult nonetheless.

Darche.  Gomez.  Nokelainen.  Bouillon retrieves.  Small lob pass. Skips over two players. Finds Kostitsyn.  Down the left.  Preds join.  One pass to the rear.  And Montreal is called.

Nashville man-advantage.

Gill has it.  Clears.

Preds reset.  They control on the perimeter for six seconds.  Turnover on an errant mountain-top pass.

First minute gone.

Erat.  Taken down on entry.  By Spacek.  One arm.  Spacek again choosing his targets.  Brave against the other Czechs.  Called. And a poor penalty. Spacek shakes his head.

And I shake mine.  Legit call.

Five on three.  Trotz calls a timeout.

David Poile, President and GM is shown.  The great architect of this team says Denis admiringly.  Poile is the son of Bud Poile, the notorious former owner of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Denis compliments the work both Poile and Trotz have done with the team.

Montreal manages the two-man disadvantage well.

Cleared.  Five on four now.

Nokelainen, Weber, Subban and Gionta.

Weber and Smith are tangled up.  Smith wants to attack Weber.  Weber ignores him and goes to the bench.

Eleven left in the period.

Geoffrion behind the net.  Emerges.  Passes.  Budaj to his knees.  Save. Stopped.  Small, mild scrum.

Canadiens begin to press.  Desharnais.  Creating, determined, savvy but stopped. Rinne.

To the other end.  Nashville can’t maintain Montreal-style control.  Neither is controlling for long.  But Montreal is creating spaces and lanes.  Nashville is simply hustling and finding small gaps.

Desharnais’ one-man chance is shown twice.  Moved the puck, defender wrong way, stick over him and to the net, stick down, a move, and Rinne down, Desharnais advanced to the end line and the pass was just kept from the slot by a sprawled Rinne.

Desharnais sits, spits and seems satisfied.  He should be.  He’s the guy I was bemoaning not having Thursday night.  He has magic.

Gionta follows suit with defence-damning work of his own.  Draws the penalty.

Or.  Wait.  No call?

Habs control.  The crowd is very loud now.  Habs control.  Preds chase.  One pass, a second and an instant blast for a goal.  But for Rinne.

Cammalleri fired, one foot up, one knee down with all his force from five feet away.  Five feet. Rinne.  How did he get across.

Four on four for twenty seconds.  Subban took one.  I guess there was a power-play but RDS didn’t show it on the screen.

The crowd is the dominant aspect for a few moments.  Six and a half.  They begin a chant.

Puck is back in Montreal ice.

Weber stops one on the blue.  Tees up.  Fires.  Budaj, with players crossing, butterflys and traps it.

A bulky, long-haired brunette behind Trotz is enthralled with her image on the big screen.

Trotz seems in physical pain from hockey intensity.  Hands behind his back, I can only imagine what his fingers are doing to one another.

Preds win the draw.

Nashville controls with smart sprightly passes but the shot doesn’t emerge.

Faceoff deep left for Nashville, to Budaj’s right.

Subban gets away with a high arm on Tootoo as the forward whooshed in on the right.  Houde wonders and then confirms that Subban got away with it.  Calls it close.

Darche, end of shift speed.  Long reception.  Top of the circle lofter to leave the ice.

Preds.  Best pressure of the night.  But just one shot.  They retain.  On the hash.  Bouillon advances to keep it in.

The Centennial team should have been kept together.  They could have put it all together eventually.

Some components could have been moved, sure.  But Bouillon.  No.

It was a culture-change move and I imagine it worked.  We’re waiting on some memoirs to find out more.

Blake Geoffrion, number five, is a forward and yes, he is related to Boom Boom.  In fact, Blake Geoffrion is the league’s first fourth-generation player.  His great-grandfather is Howie Morenz (whose number seven hangs in the Bell Centre), his grandfather is the afore-mentioned Bernard (Bernie) Boom Boom Geoffrion and his father is Dan Geoffrion.

Who’s Dan Geoffrion?

Boom Boom got his name for the sound his famed slapshot made when it caromed off the boards.  From the times he missed, let’s venture.  Boom Boom is credited for popularizing the slapshot if not inventing it.  He played in the fifties and sixties with the famed and fabled Montreal Canadiens team that won five Stanley Cups in a row.

If this were another league, many more fans might know that.  But it isn’t another league.

Regionalist chauvinism exists in this league like no other in North America.

Montreal Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups.  Most in league history.  Toronto-based teams are second with 13.

Period ends.

Vancouver has won zero.  Don Cherry; zero.  Imagine Dog tromping and spouting in a Canuck jersey, rioting.

Second Intermission
Montreal 1, Nashville 1

Blueberry corner.  Alain asks Mario about expansion teams and success.  Four teams are compared.  Columbus has had seven coaches in their brief history.  Nashville, one.  Six playoff appearances for Nashville.  One for Columbus.  Mario’s old team Minnesota has had three appearances and just three coaches in their history.

Columbus is a joke from top to bottom but few of the old boys club will admit it.  Actually, none will.

Benoit says the Canadiens haven’t been consistent from period to period.  They had the chance to glue a good second period after a solid first, and didn’t.  Mario adds that if Cammalleri scores, Montreal has confidence and maybe it’s a different game.  He adds that Cammalleri has only three goals this season and that he must be scoring.

Agreed.  It’s the only thing he likes doing.  And he’s not doing it.

Eighth-best winger in the NHL.  According to The Hockey News.  Oh yeah.  <insert pitchfork>

Third Period
Nashville 1, Montreal 1

Peter Budaj, stranger in a plastic mask, remains in net.  Not that I was expecting otherwise.  The four year-old in me was expecting otherwise.  The twelve year-old in me was only fantasizing about it.

As for me, I still haven’t realised that Budaj is on the team.  And he’s not a cause for concern tonight.  Nor the other nights he has played.

It’s probably best to trust the twelve year-old in the parliament of your sports mind.  Well, mine is a parliament.

Four on four.

Wilson to a rope and smashed skylight Smith.  Jam can’t.

Like that?  Jam can’t.

Make a noun of the verb.

Still at four on four.

Cammalleri.  Two on one with Gorges trailing.  Keeps.  Groan.  Wide.  Off glass.

Gorges just scored the other night on a similar play (OT against Phoenix).  Why not drop him the puck?  Scorers in slumps “squeeze the stick”  and shoot more often than normal.  They’re unrelaxed and forcing things.  It’s understandable.  But frustrating for all.

Three minutes gone.

Kostitsyn.  The younger.  The older is out of the lineup.  In.  Turning.  Dropping.  Turnover.  But he delivers a classic Sergei hit deep to end his shift.

Cole. To the net like a slow shark.  Pacioretty can’t make it worthwhile as Rinne beats him to the puck under the end line.

Cammalleri is back on the ice.  Stands beside Gorges.  Talking, talking.  Always talking is number thirteen.

Smith emerges.  Shot.  Puck floops high.

Around the boards.  Blum has it.  Another harmless shot.

Canadiens are moving as one again.

Gill.  Cammalleri.  Tries another individual play.  This time on a two-on-two he keeps, head goes down as he tries to keep the puck in play at his skates but the defenceman blaps it way.

Long Nashville puck.  Diaz is to it first, just barely.  Quick whacks it under his end line.

Gomez.  Digs one.  One man covered, Nokelainen, but Spacek isn’t and he gets the pass.  Shot.  Right to Rinne.  Low power.  Easily stopped.

Faceoff deep right. Lost.  Recouped.  To the blue.  Subban funnels it back.

Gionta keeps another alive at the triangle top.

It’s out.  Bad pass at the blue.  Montreal benefits.  Gionta skating and firing.

Turned away.

Nashville is watching again.

Not a lot of effort from this unit in their own zone.  But good positioning.  Maybe they just trust the guy nearest the puck to move it out?  (I’m being generous)

As for a lot of shots against, they types of shots they give up aren’t bad at all.  The stat is deceptive in Nashville’s case.

Cammalleri.  Keeping again.  Just shooting and shooting.  The desperation continues.

Poor little fellow.  Our man from Richmond Hill.  I hope it clicks together.

Monday night.  Buffalo.  Losing to Boston 3-1 right now.

Twelve.

I get the sense that Subban is a jackass at times.  Moving up to, uh, less palatable status.  Or down.

Eleven and a half.

Montreal has put themselves in a poor position again.

But what can we say.  There’s been a lot of good hockey from both teams.

Finishing.  For one.

Linesman mucks up a three-on-two and Gionta is put offside.  Puck went off the zebra’s skates.

Watching TV in a mini-van seems a bit grotesque.  Along with the French Fries and video games to boot.  Eye-strain leads to glasses.  Reading in a moving vehicle and all that.

Marc Denis comments on a Cammalleri sequence.  The forward is in pain.  Denis adds that Cammalleri asked for assistance from one of the trainers following that shift.

Ok, ok.

For now.

Nine.

If a guy backchecks, I can forgive a lot.

Faceoff to Budaj’s right.  It’s easier to type “Price”.

Those middle-finger keys.

The brain is rather impressive at times.  I wonder about less unwieldy keyboard ideas.  Letter placement.  One legend has it that the ASDF format was designed to slow typists down.

Can you imagine?  I’m sure you can.

At some point nobody will even be using keyboards again.  Of course, private entries might be desirable.  Hmm.

Action is middling but begins to heat up.  Just over six.

Whenever Desharnais is on the ice, the tenor changes.  Cole is with him and the two, more and more, seem natural complements for one another.  Pacioretty is with them and his chemistry with Desharnais is assumedly (and apparently, at times) very good.

But they are only able to stay on the race’s edgeways for now as Nashville matches smarts with speed, reach with cohesion.

It’s become a game of playbook snapshots, curves, arrows and correct technique.  Both teams are expert close-out units, Nashville out of necessity, Montreal because of experience and coaching philosophy.  Together they make chalkboard magic for the final five minutes.

Fisher with a shot from the top circle with under two minutes.
Spacek finds a rebound.  Palushaj.  Drops for Cammalleri.

Guess what he does.

This one is off something and high into the glass behind.

One oh five.

Nashville.  Suter long for a man.  Off the stick.  Gill retrieves.  One pass.  A second.  Nashville ice.

No.

Last shift.

Desharnais.  Pacioretty.  Cole.  One great chance.  More pressure.  Nashville survives.

Martin’s tactic, rewarding his hardest workers, brings a smile from me.

Period ends.  Shots on goal favoured the home team 25-24.  Nines for the third.

Overtime
Montreal 1, Nashville 1

Four on four for five minutes.

I feel nervous for the first time tonight.

It lasts for about seven seconds and then comes and goes like a moon behind fast, cold clouds.

Plekanec and Cammalleri.

Gorges low.  Subban, too.

Cammalleri has it.  Turns.  Carries into his own zone.  Leaves it for Subban.  He also circles back.  Circling backward, the four seem silly.  And now Subban’s long pass results in icing.

But the tactic was to maintain possession.  So silly is just an optical illusion.  Like a moving moon.

Oh, wait.

Suter.  Shot.  Deflected.  And just about in.  Wide of Budaj.

Gomez.  From Spacek.  Around the net.  Pass to the front.

Here’s a response.  Two on one.

I cringe.  Budaj is across.  Kept in.  More calcium grinding.

Habs survive.

Desharnais.  Pacioretty.   Martin has said before that pairs are significant in hockey.  He was referring to offensive players.

Pacioretty from the circle top.  Fires.  Seems in.  And Houde confirms it.  Rink goes quiet to a degree.  Stays noisy, somehow, though.

Just a wrister.  Pass from Subban.  Klein tried to play the puck with his stick.  Just watched it go by.

Your guy Pacioretty is scoring a lot of goals, eh.

Yes, I’m noticing.

Final Score
Montreal Canadiens 2
Nashville Predators 1 (OT)

HDS Stars: David Desharnais, Hal Gill, Max Pacioretty,
RDS Stars: Max Pacioretty, David Desharnais, Peter Budaj

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3. Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins
4. Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins
5. Montreal Canadiens vs. Florida Panthers
6. Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs