Montreal Canadiens vs. New York Islanders

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 (8-7-3) visit New York Islanders (4-8-3)

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Game Nineteen (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)

Marc Denis continues to experiment with a different delivery.  He moves his head forward in a gesture of assertion.  A few.  It’ll all come together.  He’s likeable and knowledgeable.  What more do you want.

The big desk.  Alain Crete with his nearly invisible Movember.  Guy’s moustache is particularly amusing.  It’s a good cause, a good idea.   Next year, I’ll join in.

Yannick Weber’s three power-play goals place him in a tie with five other players, defencemen, for first in the NHL.

Weber tends to set up on the left point and so does Markov.  But both have played the other point with the team and it will be interesting to see how Markov pairs with the young Swiss player when he returns.

Evgeni Nabokov starts for Islanders.   Mike Leggo and Dan O’Rourke are the referees.  Peter Budaj in net for Montreal.

First Period

Islanders win the faceoff.

Nabokov gloves a high, harmless shot to end play for the nonce.  Budaj handled a similarly dangerless shot on the Isles first incursion.

Desharnais line.  Cole and Pacioretty.  Most effective line in the past three four games.

Cole drops one for Desharnais.  Swift along the right, untouched and backhands a pass to the slot.  No shot possible.

New leg pads for Budaj and Denis says they may be a bit bouncy.

Islander ice.  Penalty.  Palushaj.  Charging.

Islander power-play.  Their eighteen percent rate is twelfth in the league, says Houde.

One clear.

Moen and Plekanec up top.  Subban and Gorges low.

Another clear.

Tavares carries.  To Parenteau.  Loses it.  They retain around the boards.

One shot from Streit, the Islander captain and former Hab.   He’s also the Swiss national captain.  He’s called for holding on a Plekanec exit.  Legit call.  Just a quick grab of the shoulder on the Plekanec flight in.  Four on four.  Gomez with a high backhand follow-through.  Misses the net.

Grabner on the other end.  Moves it here and now it’s there.  Backhand to forehand and the stick is hooked preventing a short-side special.

Draw won by Isles and the puck leaves the zone.  Mottau carries out.  Good speed on the forecheck by Rolston and Blake Comeau.  The team is a bit peppered with veterans this season.

Rolston beats Budaj on entry.  Blast and ting.  Off the post.  Puck poings away from Islander sticks and the Canadiens set up for twenty or so seconds.  Five on four.

Cole tries a pass from the hash, a direct turnover.  Rush is contained.  Two on one.  Desharnais.  With Cole.  Big gap.

No.  He missed the net entirely.  Houde says that you couldn’t have asked for a better chance for Cole.

Action slows as Eller turns with it just under the Islander blue.

Fast pace.  Islanders don’t look seventeen teenagers anymore.

Tavares with an entry and the puck is up and out of play.

Islanders are not the easy fruit Carolina was last night.

Stoppage.

Tavares and Grabner discuss the last shift on the bench.

Faceoff to Budaj’s right.

Three posts on the last sequence, says Denis with a light laugh.

Delay as the ref waits for a replay to determine where the puck left the rink.  Or something.

Just under fourteen remaining.

Isles win the draw.

And Isles win the boards battles.  Parenteau.  Neilson.

It’s out but the Canadiens can’t control.

Gionta is back and smothers Parenteau inside the Montreal blue.   Isles regroup.

Subban, ticks a puck for Gorges.

Pacioretty.  Sends Moen in.  Moen is to the net.  Falls.  Called.  Sorry, it was Cole.  Tripped as he veered into the windshield.

Cole’s other shot, the near miss was through Nabokov’s pads and off the post.  Much closer call than initially appeared.

Montreal man-advantage.

Stoppage.

Faceoff to Nabokov’s left.

Gomez leaves the circle and Gionta wins the draw.  Plekanec at the blue.  Gets it twice.

More passing.  Nabokov is down, face on the ice.  What happened.  In pain.  Rick DiPietro readies himself.  Baseball cap will go.  Nabokov is limping.  On his right pad extension, he injured himself, untouched by anyone else.  Tore something, perhaps.  Stretched something.  He’s 36.  He’s been effective for New York this season but he may be more brittle than DiPietro.

Number thirty-nine is in net.  Stretches.  His career save percentage is about 0.10.  The gigantic contract hasn’t been matched by his performance.

Cammalleri hits a crossbar crossing.  They retain.

Cammalleri again.  Into the slot and drop-passes for Plekanec.

Comeau intercepts a Weber return pass for Plekanec and good skating prevents a breakaway.

Habs spend the remainder outside Islander ice.

As the penalty ends, they are back in and controlling.  Cole.  On the boards. Desharnais behind the net.  Finds Pacioretty. Tied up and his shot rubbers away.

Palushaj down the left.  Shot is off the pad.

Ten minutes.

Isles are pressuring again.  Tavares line.

Gorges digs it up to Darche.  Pushed out.  Nokelainen can’t keep it under the islander end line.

Eller has it now.  Around the left.  Looking to the slot.  . . .  No sticks reply.

It’s a quiet rink and we can hear the echo of sticks, the hiss of skates.  The odd whoop and holler from the fans.

It’s a poorly lit arena.  A New York tradition, perhaps.

The Cammalleri shot is shown.  Moved into the slot right to left and wristed a shot through it all.  And found the crossbar.  He’s in a mode.  And it’s good to see.

Weber is called.

Interference?  High elbow as Tavares got ride of a puck.  Weber doesn’t like the call and leaves with a sardonic smile.

Islander man-advantage.

Plekanec and Moen.  Subban and Gorges.

Parenteau loses the puck.  Two on two.  Plekanec with Moen.  Plekanec gears down and maneuvers into the slot.  Short, quick wrister.  DiPietro sees it and it’s stopped.

Nielsen carries it in, unhunched and head corking about.  Isles control.  Streit is the controller on the blue.

Budaj is searching and now beaten.  But the Isles can’t whack it in.

Thirty seconds and the Isles are back in.  Macdonald with a long shot.  Wrister.

New York looks sharp, sprightly.  Canadiens, playing their second in two nights may be more tired.  Isles had last night off following their loss to Rangers on Tuesday.

But neither team relents.

Penalty ends with the Islanders groping and grabbing.

Five and a half.

Pandolfo’s long pass is intercepted by Darche on the blue.  Immediate pass to the crease.  Isles survive.

Gionta, Plekanec and Cammalleri.  Give and go and then a long pass to Cammalleri on the other side.  He has to spin and retreat to receive it.  Turns and carries on.  Sequence ends in Islander chasing and a decent Gionta chance from the right side.  DiPietro has this one.  DiPietro is a leftie and I wonder about his technique.  He was highly regarded once and his poor numbers may simply be a case of having played with a struggling team for so long.

A strange team, really.  They’re, uh, different.  An eccentric involved owner who doesn’t know the game nor its networks will do that.

Charles Wang.  An interesting character.

Faceoff to Budaj’s right.

Eller carries, scoots it out but is dumped.  It goes long and is called for icing.  Martin is uncomfortable in his suit and in his skin.  Tonight.  It feels like Montreal is up one, nothing.  But there are no goals

The post and crossbar.

Budaj traps another.

The Islander veterans are well-chosen and they lead the way tonight.  Marty Reasoner is the shooter and he created his chance.

Two minutes.

Darche and Streit bump lightly behind the Islander net as the puck sails along.

Nokelainen has a chance now.  Accelerates.  Is matched.  Disc is gone.

Budaj leans down and traps a puck next to his net.  Some mild jostling, the first of the kind, after the whistle.  Lasts three, four seconds.  Not much else.

Draw deep left for Islanders.  They win it.

On the hash.  MacDonald brakes and turns, moves the puck to his right.  Takes his left point position.

Rolston emerges from behind the net and passes perfectly to the doorstep.  But the puck can’t be had and escapes.

The Islanders are much better than last season.  They don’t wait and watch.  They initiate and carry the play.  It’s one look for me, one game, but the team impresses.  It’s been a while.

Twenty seconds.  Offwing entry.  Desharnais shoots.  Up and out of play.

Denis yaks about Parenteau.  Houde says that the Hull native got thirty-four goals with Hartford, the Islander affiliate.

Period ends.

Not exactly a classic, says Houde but some good scoring chances.

Islanders led on shots 11-10.

First Intermission
Montreal 0, Islanders 0

Lecavalier scored his seventh of the season tonight  against Pittsburgh.

Crosby is close to returning.

Second Period
Islanders 0, Montreal 0

Parenteau scores.

Budaj sees a puck escape his stick from behind his net.  Realised it a bit late and the puck was in backhanded.  Somewhere in Hull, a Francophone household is happy.

Islanders 1, Montreal 0

DiPietro scoops one up.

Faceoff to his left.

Cammalleri has it and turns on the lower part of the circle.  To Gionta.  Shot on reception.  Stopped.

Gomez and Eller chase a Cammalleri line-change puck into Islander ice.  They brake and shake.  Net is of as Eller moved to the crease to put pressure.

Budaj placed his stick on the end boards at a perpendicular  but it bounced oddly.

The first and last minutes of a period and the shift following a goal are very important, says Denis.

Delicate and influential moments.

Moen prod-arms at a puck in the crease.  He has six goals for Montreal, second on the team.

Isles clump and move out.

Left side.  One pass.  Pandlofo.  To Bailey on the opposite wing.  Emelin doesn’t advance and the return pass on Pandolfo’s stick and in.

Diaz is also blamed by Denis.

Islanders 2, Canadiens 0

Habs pressure immediately.  But the puck stays on the boards.  Subban advances and is covered by Darche on the right point.  Puck floats to the forward and he blasts a long shot.

Wide.  And out it goes.

Moments later, a long Islander puck is called for icing.

Subban is on the bench gulping for breath.

Cammalleri behind the Islander net.  He wants the puck and he gets it.  Wants to retain and does that as well.  Passes.  Islanders funnel to the boards.

Now Montreal ice.

Delayed call.

Sixth attacker steps on.

Rolston rounds the flower and drops it.  Puck is to the low crease.  Budaj flabs to the ice and holds on. Emelin.  Shakes his head.  Holding.

Islander man-advantage.

Desharnais wins it.  Subban winds up and holds it like a Nintendo figure.  Blasts.  And it’s stopped at the blue.  Montreal persists and it’s cleared.

Another entry.  Eller has it under the end line.  Lobber.  Out of play.

Rolston is irritated about something. Not scoring?

He wears the A.  He’s an intense individual.

Thirteen-thirty.  One minute left in the penalty.

Nielsen and Plekanec.  Lost to the hash.  Stoppage.  Same two cross sticks. And again it’s lost.  To Streit on the right point.

Very quick release and the same      power.  Budaj has it.  Streit doesn’t just shoot, he floats to find the lane and then marks his target.  Very smart player.

Keeps his wits.

Isles are kept out of the scoring spots fro the remainder.

Emelin has it out of the box.  Can’t do much and the traffic is everywhere.

Blake Comeau is another intense Islander who I assume is making a difference in the team’s makeup.

Twelve.

Budaj bounces a puck to a teammate and again it’s an odd puck that nearly gets way from the Habs.

Pacioretty takes a seat and engages in his usual open mouth facial tics.

Gomez.  Moen.  Eller.  Three stripes at different depths.  But no puck.

Canadiens defence collapses.  Streit joins the crowd and pots it.  One hand, one poke and it’s past the low-bound Budaj.  Martin was held up in the low slot and Streit swooped in.

Islanders 3, Montreal 0

What a waste of a win last night.

This team has shown it can’t come back from three goals down.

Time to reverse that reputation and habit.

But the Islanders believe in something now and their joy shows up in their skating.

Emelin caused the turnover by stickhandling into the slot with the puck.  What the duck was he doing.  The great Alexei Emelin.  We had to chase after this guy?  He should have stayed in Russia.  What a waste of effort to get him.

So many mistakes.

Lots of Habs fans, says Houde.  One shakes his head as he notices himself on the screen.

It’s truly sad, says Houde.  There are so many visiting fans in this rink.  He reflects on the former greatness of the Islanders.

Four straight to start the eighties.  Only two other teams in history won four straight Stanley Cups.  The Islanders were something very special.

Isle in the clear.  Save.  Price would have come in if that had been a goal.

Eight minutes.

Subban booms one.

Habs up the pressure.  Cammalleri with his uncle low special.  Stopped.  Then he turns it over.

Eller now. Across to Pacioretty.  He put it in.

Some life says Houde.

Islanders 3, Montreal 1

More Montreal pressure.

Same line.

They keep it in.

That’s what effort and desire will get you.  One big hit by Pacioretty.  Another similar attempt from Eller.

Long Subban pass for Pacioretty goes long for icing.

Canadiens continue the pressure.

Finally the Islanders succumb.  Cole with a free disc at the low circle, DiPietro fallen and with a doll’s hope.

It’s in off the post.  A ricochet.

Islanders 3, Montreal 2

Under two.

Islanders respond.  Screened shot.  Grabner.  Behind a cutting Tavares.

Islanders 4, Montreal 2

This will cool the Canadiens’ spirits predicts Houde.

Cammalleri closes the period with more of his new electric feist.

Regular season crackle.  He is capable of fifty.  But he has to play like this every night.

Higgins was capable of fifty.  But he’ll be forgotten five years after his career ends.  Forever.  Cammalleri must avoid this.

Period ends.

Shots on goal in favour of Montreal 11-9.  21-20, overall.

Second Intermission
Islanders 4, Montreal 2

Grub.

Third Period
Islanders 4, Montreal 2

Erik Cole.  That big forward you wanted.  Like LeClair.  But bigger.  Possibly stronger.

Here we go.

Subban leaves it for Pacioretty who doesn’t handle it well.  Subban saves the situation from the low slot and helps start the rush.

Behind the net.  Desharnais.  Diagonal pass oozes without recipient.

Next line is in.  Gomez.  He’s backchecking with Devil purpose.

Fly around.  Have fun.  Skate through your mistakes.  Can’t we let this team take risks more often?

Two gone.

They’re allowed now because of the context, two goals down in the third.

Coe in the crease.  Bumped but affects him very little.  Darche, I meant.

In a way, that’s the most fun position in the game, if you can take the welts and wooden malice. You’re in the epicenter.  And you can create from there, as well, send a pass to the perimeter if needed from that spot.

Nielsen is in. Crowd and panic.  Releases the backhand.  Budaj is gulping and hulked over.  And stops it.

Long Streit pass.  Gorges.  Left side in his zone. Turns and sends it to Subban.  Out and then in. Gorges decides to take the body and the puck is lost.  And a long dangerous possession results.

Experienced defenceman.  Economical, quick and low-risk.  I miss watching Hamrlik.

Wait.  Just wait for Markov.

Gomez.  Through the neutral zone.  Crosses the blue and leaves it for Gionta on the blue.  He fires.  Gomez is at the net.  And DiPietro blankets the wobbler.  Gomez wraps an arm around DiPietro for balance.  Play ends.

No animosity.

Vets get the benefit of the doubt.

Subban, keeping for far too long.  Using balance, strength and ginger stickhandling and it works.  Oh, he’s getting better at that.  Despite all the textbooks.  It’s a lemon in the throat but I do love it.  There’s a lot of sugar in his play.  And that’s all it will be by the time he’s 29.

More magic but the shots aren’t coming.

In a way, this is the best school for Subban.  The defensive system so emphasized will balance his natural halcyon instincts.  Once he has he green light that comes with earning puck trust, he’ll use the skills he has at the right times.  And we’ll have an all-star for years.

Tavares blows by Gorges on the right and goes ton the net at a bad angel.  Can’t convert from carrier to shooter.

Montreal’s risks are creating more space, more cold wind at the net.  Martin will catch a chill.

Gomez knows how to use his stick just at the limit.

Hounds his man.  Can’t get it this time.

Ten and a half.  This Montreal team is much better trailing than in week one.

No guests.  No pretending.

But they’re losing energy.  The last of it for some.

Just under ten.

Houde says he’s like to see Subban and Gorges minutes tonight.  They’ve been on the ice a lot more than usual.

Finally Desharnais’ effort draws a tripping call.  Grabner at mid-ice.

He moves his head to the right in a gesture of disappointment.

Desharnais; pass misses Weber who moved up from the blue.  And a two on one results.  Weber shows remarkable speed in catching up to join the defensive.

Cammalleri has it.  No. Sweet spot missed.  To the point.  Across.  DiPietro from the low circle on the left where he scored against Boston.  And DiPietro sans baton has it.  He was across somehow.  He saw it coming.

Penalty is over.

It’s close-out time.  And we haven’t looked at all the comics yet.

Six and a half.

Eller.  From the corner.  DiPietro whalers the puck away.
Stays in.  Eller.  On the boards.  Darche.  In the corner.  Hit very hard. Staios.  Boarding.  They call it.

This league really is different these days, isn’t it.

Better than the nineties.

Five fifty-eight.

Desharnais. Cole.  Pacioretty.  Isles win.  Around the boards.  Cleared.  Cole loses it in his zone.  Recovers it.  One pass.  Second to Weber.  Desharnais.  Plekanec.  Left hash.  Back across and a one-timer.  Stopped.

The Canadiens power-play is ripening.

It’s hard to believe but having Plekanec at the blue might work out.  If only until Markov is ready to run the main unit.

Thirty seconds.

Cammalleri turns and fires, rebound.  Gionta.  In.  Bullet finish.

Gionta caught the pas with his arm.  Just got it across, let the puck drop and bagged it.

Four minutes and eight seconds.  One goal game.

That dag carom off the end boards.  I know, I know.

Subban takes another risk with the puck.  Gets way with it.  He’s so confident in his abilities.  I can’t blame him and I smile.  Yes, I hate turnovers as much as any old man from the seventies.

Or from the video era, really.  The late eighties.

Cammalleri.  Turning in the slot, back to the play, drops it to Cole and the shot.  I thought it would end the sequence.

Two and fifteen. Crowd is cheering.  Let’s go islanders.
Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap.  Like the Rangers chant.

One two, one-two-three.

Tavares.  Creating problems.  Subban on him. Tavares around the net.  Nearly makes a passing play.

Tavares and a Hab are caught up behind the action.  Houde isn’t talking about. Habs staple it in deep.  Budaj escapes.  Puck is free in the slot.  It gets wild.  Rebound. Shots.  Sticks.  DiPietro clawing.

A pass gets way from them all.  Diaz has to retrieve.  Twenty.  A turnover.  Gomez sends it in long.  Fifteen.  Bumped back out.  In.  And then out again.  They had the chance.

Seven point six.

Martin wants a timeout.

Deep left.  Cammalleri.  Pacioretty.  At the point.
Won.  To the point.  Pacioretty.  To Cammalleri and the shot.  No.  Into the corner.  Its over.

Some frustration.

Travis Hamonic shows his inclinations.  Felt the need to get involved.

And where might he be from.

And any committee Pat Quinn is involved with won’t pass muster.

Final Score
Islanders 4
Montreal 3

HDS Stars: Michael Cammalleri, John Tavares, Yannick Weber
RDS Stars: Mark Streit, PA Parenteau, Max Pacioretty

Honourable mention to Brian Rolston, David Desharnais and Lars Eller

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