Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Montreal Canadiens (10-10-3) host Pittsburgh Penguins (13-6-4)

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Game Twenty-Four (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)

So it continues.  Crosby is again acclaimed, this time by RDS colour man Marc Denis, as the greatest player in the world.  Based on what.  Wishful thinking?  Nostalgia for Wayne?  Hockey propaganda?

What are the criteria?  Points?  Goals?  Smiles?  Endorsements?  What about pure ability?  What about teammates?  What about logic?

We’re asked to remove our hats.  My Beliveau hat stays on.  Gregory Charles is back with his jacket and sweet croon.  I still want Charles (Prevost-Linton) back.  Or Roger.

Price, like Marino, enjoys the challenge of the great matchups.  Tonight, he can send a message.

Mike Hasenfratz and Dan O’Rourke are the refs.  Marc-Andre Fleury and Carey Price in net.  Force contre force says Houde as the team lineups are reviewed.  The starting lineups.

First Period

Delayed call.  Penguins score immediately.  Missed coverage.  Malkin.  Better than Crosby.  Malkin, the Conn Smythe winner in 08-09 bangs home a rebound, Price looking hapless.  The rink is silenced, some scattered cheering and a kid in a Penguins toque stands and claps, nodding and looking about all the while.

Penguins 1, Canadiens 0

Cole shoots from the slot.  Boom.  But no.

Malkin is on the ice again within two shifts.  Swerves and the pond eddies, but he’s in offside.

Eller wins the draw.

They’re in.  Puck is swatted but left for Moen who wrists past the mistiming Fleury.  Thought it would be to the right.  Beaten.  Clean.

Montreal 1, Pittsburgh 1

Price makes a stop on the Penguin incursion.  Kostitsyn is in the lineup tonight and he shrugs as Moen asks a question.  They continue discussing things on the bench.

Crosby tries to enter on the right.  Gorges holds him up and the puck escapes.  Hooking.  Cammalleri was called for holding Letang on the exit in the Penguin zone.

Penguins power-play.

Crosby wins the draw.  Loses it on the hash on a return pas.  Get ready for confusion, boy.  The Canadiens know how to negate number 87 and it’s a team thing.

Facts, my shiny penguins.

Stoppage.

Malkin is on the right wing on their first wave.  Normal alignment for the Penguins who like to have both Malkin and Crosby together on the first wave.  The two centres are separate on five-on-five (even strength).

Pens are stopped on entry.  Sullivan starts them out.  Now he keeps one in on the left point.  Pens set up.  Malkin with a big shot from the blue.  Price turns it away.

Houde breathes that Crosby doesn’t miss chances like these very often.  Oh really.

He’s not Gretzky.

Price with a cross-crease pad save.

Penalty ends.  Crosby and Malkin were on for the full two minutes.  Shades of the seventies.  Most teams ice two waves, one for each minute.  Either approach is fine, pros and cons for both.

Cole lofts one into the deep boards.  Pacioretty in the crease digs a backhand to Cole and the net is open.  Cole can’t connect.

Whoof, Cole rarely misses on those.  Yes, I’m mimicking.

Price’s save is shown.  Nullified James Neal on the right to left save.

Darche jaws with a ref.  He’s none too pleased.  He’s in a mood these days.  Told off PK in an earlier game for holding on to the puck too long on a sequence and not passing it to the winger, who was open.  Fair enough.  Darche capts one and sends it to the right point.  Pens intercept the slot pass.  Montreal ice.

Engelland with a long shot from the right point into traffic.

Darche line leaves with Darche dumping it before exiting.

Dupuis to the slot.  Crosby can’t reach it.  Crosby bumps Weber off the puck and continues.  Loses it on the boards.  To the crease.  Price drops to it.  New pads.  Holds it for the faceoff.

Gill knows Crosby (played with him in Pittsburgh).  Gorges has learned.  Subban can eliminate Crosby as shown in earlier games.  It’s Weber, Diaz and Emelin that are the questions.  And St. Denis, too.  Though St. Denis is not in the lineup tonight, methinks.

Canadiens score.  Pacioretty.

Montreal 2, Pittsburgh 1

They read, too.  (The world is not one player)

Wrister, Rebound.  Pass and the shot from the circle.  One-timer.  Good setup.  Desharnais.  The best passer on the Canadiens.  Gomez is not in the lineup.  Statement would still apply.

Pacioretty takes a sip of water and maintains his beaked game-face.

Twelve oh six.

Eller.  Left side.  Coverage.  Offside entry by the haircutted (what’s the past tense of haircut?) Kostitsyn.

Moen is with them.

Gorges and Subban share the puck and fire it down.

Eller under the end line.  Malkin takes the puck momentarily.  Kostitsyn has it at the hash.  Some good work.  But he doesn’t get back with enough moxie.

Kostitsyn steals a puck then sticks get high as Letang and Kostitsyn bump at mid-ice.  Two on two.  Nokelainen.  In.  Darche with the huge rebound, over the net.  Nearly in.

Under the end line. Nokelainen.  To Emelin on the left. Point.  Shot-pass is blocked.

Craig Adams over the left.  Under the end line.  Good work from winger Palushaj, all the way at the end line on the corner and the Canadiens are out.

Plekanec line.  Short pass to Cammalleri.  Kunitz interrupts.  Gill retries. Long pass.  Pens just get to it.  Great effort from the captain, Gionta.  A real captain.  Unlike the ordained captain, opposite.  Experience.  Grit.  Respectability.

Under ten.

Michalek throws a long interception.  Another interception.  Pens enter.  Dupuis for Martin on the right point.  Crosby under the end line.  To Dupuis.  Shot is wide.  Michalek with a long shot.  The glove, the lasso, the tassels and some medium level cheering for Carey.  Faceoff.

Bylsma’s hair looks lighter, thinner.  He leans forward to say something to Crosby and then leans back into position, arms folded as is his custom.

Letang is rather shaggy tonight.

Staal against Gionta to Fleury’s right. Gionta wins it.  Emelin dumps it down.  Desharnais reaches it.  But his slot pass is intercepted.

Staal and Cole tangle under the end line. Then Staal is free to emerge.  He tries a pass that gets high off a stick.  Habs pump it down the right side boards.  Rebuffed and the Canadiens are propelled out for a brief entry by Subban.

Back and forth.  Kostitsyn loses an off-balance joust at the the high slot.  Subban is tripped on an exit attempt moments later.  Bylsma remains philosophical, purple cloud tie and his usual thoughtful expression.  Great coach, that Mr. Bylsma.  Also won a Jack Adams to prove it.  But he doesn’t need a trophy for us to believe it.

James Neal was called.  Slashing.  Montreal man-advantage.

Cammalleri with a circle shot.  Wide.  Desharnais under the end line.  Weber on the right point.  They work the perimeter.  Staal with some good work up op.  Uses his lengthy well.

Habs keep tin. .  Low shot from Plekanec. Fleury gets low and earns a compliment from Houde.

Cammalleri to Cole.  Perfect.  Stopped.  Plekanec with a wild high shot that hits glass behind Fleury.

Pens shove it out.

Subban starts them out.

Flunged at the blue.   They try again.  Eller has to handle another poor pass.  Does.

Gionta under the end line.  Gionta with him.  High pass, into the sky.  Down under the end line on the other side.  Neal helps push it out and the penalty is over.

Five eleven.

Fleury stops one behind his net.

The puck cracks from stick to stick and the teams are tight, close and not sharing.

Some James Neal plaudits from the RDS crew.   Three fast facts.  Three 20-goal seasons to start his career, for example.

Neal is from Whitby and only 24 years old.

Is Bertrand Houde, Pierre’s brother?

Faceoff outside Montreal’s blue.  Won by Pittsburgh.

Both teams turn it over.  Montreal ice.  Emelin.  Comes up with it.  Looking more calm, fluid in recent games.

Two on two entry.   Palushaj tries a bit of one-on-one. .  Loses the disc quickly.  Not very good with stickhandling on that sequence

Cole takes it from Martin.  Accelerates through two.  One shot, the second and Fleury has both.  Play goes on.  Cole’s speed is always surprising.  He’s very big.  But he has the fifth gear.

He’s like a farm horse.  Don’t underestimate him in a sprint.

Two oh six.

Pens slow it down and have a long sequence in Montreal ice.  Kept on the perimeters.  Malkin carries over the right side.  Five red jerseys in the screen.   Emelin at the cage, Moen up top.  Kostitsyn helps lob it out.

Sneaky slow dribbler.  But Price gets the puck moving along with his right pad.  Cooke’s shot.

Staal.  Challenged.  By Gorges.  Habs come up with it.   Gorges with great work so far this period.  Has stopped all entries but one.

Two point nine and the teams change lines for the final faceoff.  Cole’s blade is all black.  Tape and composite both.

Faceoff leads to nothing.

Pens led on shots12-11.

First Intermission
Montreal 2, Pittsburgh 1

Fathers are helping sons marvel as they go for cokes on the concourse.

Mario, Alain and the cactus.

Benoit’s jacket is open.  The other two keep their jackets buttoned.  It’s not Mechant Mardi, Brunet.

Mario says that Crosby won’t be able to catch Kessel in the scoring race.  Gretzky would.  Lemieux would.  Jagr would.

Kariya wouldn’t.  Nor will Crob.  Crob is very good.  And was great at the time of his injury.  He hasn’t peaked yet and could still live up to the billing.  But he isn’t’ the greatest player in the world.   Yet.  Let’s see.

In the mid-nineties, we were informed by a breathless piece in one of the major colour magazines that Forsberg, Jagr and Kariya were the three we could expect to take the mantle of greatest in the game.  Turns out Jagr came closest.  Not the Swede Forsberg nor the Canadian Kariya.  Though many wished it would be so.  Lindros?  He’s long forgotten, isn’t he.  The so-called Next One.  Also Canadian.

Jingoism in sports is tiresome.

You can call it homerism if it suits you better.

Renaud interviews Crosby.  Crosby is his usual humble self.  English interview.

(Ed note: It is believed that most magazines in the mid-nineties were of colour format.  Nineteen nineties, smartie.)

Second Period
Montreal 2, Pittsburgh 1

Desharnais line to start.  Staal line for Pens.

Gill misses a puck after a failed clearing pass from centre.

Desharnais is met by two Pens in the corner hand the puck is gone.  Lines change as Price stops one behind his net.

Long passes and lots of skating.  Crosby is given room and he passes to Kunitz in the crease.  Jammed in.  Great pass and finish.

Bounced off something high. Off a skate

Kunitz pushed it in with his hand.  It will be called back despite the ref’s initial comment to Price who said it was punched in.  Deliberate gesture is clear.  I, too, thought I could go along with assuming Crob is great on that play.

The pass was a quick clearing.  Just shovel it out front.

Overhead view is less convincing.  Side view is clear.  Bylsma will stay in the same mode either way.  He smiles at someone the ice.

Long pause as we wait for the official decision from Toronto.  Phone call is made.  And who knows who is making this decision, with what vision and what bias in his heart.

Goal is called off.  The right call.

But the lesson is there.  Crosby can’t be left to pass freely.  No centre can.  Well, maybe Staal.

Careless exit.  Turnover off Plekanec’ stick.  Dupuis.  Alone.  Shoots.  Price is low and crunches into a shrimp-shaped save.

Holds it and falls over in a ball of equipment and relief.

Eller wins the draw to the goalie’s left.  On the boards.  Malkin.  Gracefully turns it from the edge to the high slot.  They work on the boards.  Neal with the bulk of the work under the end line.

It’s out.  Letang has it, turning and moving.  Shoots.  No.

Huge open net.

Canadiens entry.  Pacioretty and Cammalleri fold Fleury and a Pen falls into the net.  Kostitsyn followed with the puck around the net but his pass was off a stick.  Fleury was beaten, no doubt, says Houde.

Three minutes gone.

Arron Asham.  Carries.  To the right point.  Has it again.  Shot.  Weak and stopped.

Board work.  Weber and Vitale.   Nokelainen and Asham.  Kept out.  To the right point.  Five Habs in the picture.  Palushaj up top.  He gets it and passes to Darche who dumps it down.

Subban retrieves.  One move and a pass.  To Desharnais.  Right wing pass.  Pacioretty shoots.  Wrister is into the crease and Fleury drops it but covers.  Faceoff deep right.  Pens exit immediately.

Stoppage.

Crosby loses the draw to Plekanec.

Diaz caries.  Over the blue.  Finally dumps.  Pass to Gionta is blocked and Gionta and Plekanec are met on the hash by two Penguins, all in chase.

It’s out.

Another Montreal entry.

Gionta with the cruising pass from the right side.  Ticked away.

Crosby leads a rush.  Offside entry.

Malkin loses a draw to Eller outside the blue.

Long puck is lost to Penguins.  Sullivan loses the puck himself.  More turnovers.

Price tries a catcher-style dust ball up off the mitt but can’t retain.  Swept aside.  And out.  Price janitors one behind his net.

Pacioretty.   To Cole streaking.  His shot is up and out of play despite the verve in Houde’s voice.

Desharnais’ pass is off a skate after a snake medley entry.

Desharnais can’t stay with puck and the Pens clear it in.  Pacioretty with a very wide stance stickhandles and keep s it way.  Finally loses it, he was all length and no left or right possible.

Twelve and a half.

Again, five in the screen.  And guess who is doing the best work backchecking as a winger.  Cammalleri.  Tremblay said at the break that he’d like to hear Cammalleri’s name more when we talk about who’s been working hard.  Said that the winger needs to work harder to get the puck instead of waiting around for it.  Brunet agreed.

Under twelve.  Malkin wins the draw.  He’s bigger than he’s listed, I’m sure.  One ninety five.  He’s strong, my fish.

Kostitsyn with a Malkin draped on him.  Tries the shot falling.  Emelin with good contact on Neal.  Kostitsyn is slow to mature but he’s maturing.  Keep him around.  It will all work out.

Emelin’s not afraid of anyone and the rest of the conference is finding out he can’t be bullied.

A Pen leaves well enough alone after a few shoves.

Draw.  Habs exit.  Palushaj with a careful pass to the only red jersey available.  Covered but the puck goes where it’s supposed to.  Into Pittsburgh ice.

Out and then in with a whistle for icing against Montreal.

Darche is again jawing with a ref. Not in a good mood, Mathieu.

Draw to Price’s left.  This time Pens keep it in.

Habs watch and chase a bit.  Gill in his big, slow way finds his way to the puck.

Like Sting just barely hitting the note, Gill usually finds a way to get there.  I don’t know how.  He understands geometry better than most, I’d guess.

Pens shoot from the muzzle.  Where is the coverage.  Twas a long shift Houde notes.

Cole from the mid-ice area.  Cross ice.  They’re in.  Pens are turned here and then there.  Long shot.  V rebound.  Backhand.  Pacioretty to Cole.  Blast.  Ting.  And in.  High off the left corner of the net.

Ole King Cole

Montreal 3, Pittsburgh 1

Opportunistic goal gotten on being just ahead of the play.

Emelin takes a penalty early on the next shift.  Holding in the Montreal zone.  Spits on the ice and takes his punishment.

Number one unit.  Crosby, Malkin and Letang.  Sullivan on the left point.  One Price save.  Pens control for a time.  Habs are waiting rather than chasing.  Finally Gorges moves out of the square.  Plekanec as well.

Pens keep it in.  Sullivan nearly loses it on the blue.  Crosby the same.  No whistle.

Gill blocks a shot.  Sullivan’s from the circle dot.  Letang with a wild shot wide right.

Pens run out of gas but a Crosby shot forces Price low.  Rebound can’t be had.

Letang tries a cross-blue pass and it’s off target.

And out.  One last entry.  No.

Emelin is out.  Left side acceleration past the hash.  Brakes, turns and passes and retreats to the bench.

Five and a half.  Price traps one on the side.  Gorges gets a break and Subban has a new shift partner.

Denis interviews Ladouceur.  How do you prepare for a player like Crosby?   Team concept.  He spotlights Gorges and Subban saying hat other guys have to step up as the two can’t be on the ice all the time.  Soobey, he calls him.  Add a “y” to your first name.  Or an “er”.  Tanger.

Emelin’s shot is blocked by a crossing skate but Eller picks it up at the hash.  Moen to the net.  Drives low like Rocket and Fleury is down.  Moen can’t finish, on his side as he is.

Moen was compared to the Rocket in a lighthearted piece by Dave Stubbs recently.

Moen got his fiftieth goal in his 544th game.  Rocket, as Montreal fans know, scored 544 in his career.  One of those numbers we see often in this sphere.  (Maurice Rocket Richard is the most celebrated Montreal Canadien; he’s from the fifties.)

End to end.

Finally the flow ends. Dupuis with a turning shot off the post and into the net. Just turned, one-eighty and banged it home.  Sudden.  And sweet.

Off both posts.

Montreal 3, Pittsburgh 2

Dupuis gets talked about too much by the RDS crew.  Now we’ll have to put with effusive Dupuis talk to go with the Crob chatter.

Malkin toe net.  And Price snuffs it.  Very important save.

Just under three.

Neal is in a small scrum following the play.  I’ll guess that Subban elbowed him to the head after the play.  Saw part of it but couldn’t see the number.  Subban can be a pest at times.  And worse.

Great save off Desharnais by Fleury.  Desharnais is knocked down without provocation following.  What a pass and shot.  Cole rounded the net easily and fired to the slot.  Orpik knocked down Pacioretty not Desharnais.  Pacioretty.  What did he say this time.  Or was it just his unpleasant and provocative sneer?

Dunno.

Montreal to the man advantage.

Two failed entries.

Pens are covering well, Martin and Adams in particular.

And another breakup.

Gionta fires it in. Pens are casually beating the Canadiens to the puck.  Finally with a minute left, the Habs set up.  Dupuis is very active up top.  Shot-pass into the muzzle is played and cleared by Pens.

We can see why this is one of the best PK units in the league.  Staal tries a carry.  Stripped easily and falls.

Now Subban is tripped on the following deep incursion.  To the net, and tripped.  No call.  Booing.

Hard to say.  But looked like a trip.

Time runs out on both the penalty and the period.  Cole with one good entry on his offwing closed the power seque4nce.

Shots on goal favoured Pittsburgh 16-5 for a total of 28-16.

Second Intermission
Montreal 3, Pittsburgh 2

Le Coin de Bleuet.  Tremblay is smiling like Santa.  The Paul Deutsch story.   He nearly played.  He’s fifty-one.  Pat Hickey said it would have been a knock on the league’s credibility had it happened.  The oldster nearly played because Minnesota Wild had goalie injuries.  The situation was alleviated by a last-minute appearance by a real goalie.

Tremblay reviews the recent coaching changes.  All have winning records even with the OTL converted to a loss.  How did Kevin Dineen get named a head coach?  Florida.  You figure it out.

What a joke.

This is Dineen’s complete coaching record prior to being named ice boss in Sunshine:

Team     Year          Regular Season                    Post Season
G     W     L     OTL     SL     Pts     Finish     Result
POR     2005–06     80    53    19    5    3    114    1st in Atlantic     Lost in Third round
POR     2006–07     80    37    31    3    9    86    6th in Atlantic     Missed Playoffs
POR     2007–08     80    45    26    5    4    99    3rd in Atlantic     Lost in Third round
POR     2008–09     80    39    31    3    7    88    3rd in Atlantic     Lost in First round
POR     2009–10     80    45    24    7    4    101    2nd in Atlantic     Lost in First round
POR     2010–11     80    47    24    7    2    103    1st in Atlantic     Lost in Third round

There weren’t any better candidates?  Another Mike Tice.  Another Jack Del Rio.  More Del Rio, I’d say.

Linebackers and tight ends people that liked.  Nice quals.

Third Period
Montreal 3, Pittsburgh 2

That stupid “Are you ready?” yell starts the period.  It’s a blatant rip-off of the “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble” bit that was so poplar.  It was riveting.  But the guy didn’t want to sell the rights and so we’re stuck with the lame Are you ready?  In arenas and stadia across the continent.

What a shame.

I don’t think Pacioretty is very well-liked by all his teammates.  Should I feel bad?   Such an out of proportion sense of self.  I don’t think it’s going to change much.  Who knows why he’s like this.

Habs have blocked more shots than anyone else in the league.  Stars and Leafs are second and third respectively.

Careful action from both.  Nokelainen line with Vitale and his energy guys for Pens.

Lots of hard work and low risk.  Puck stays on the perimeter.  Dupuis is on.  Works with one hand deep.  Draws the hook.  Martin swears.  His jacket is open, too.

Holding the stick.  What.  Wait.  Dupuis did it.  Held Moen’s stick on the forecheck.  Montreal man-advantage.  Martin is not swearing now.  We were both wrong.

One Cammalleri shot.  Stays free.  Weber.  A third shot. What trouble the goalie created for himself.  But a great save on the third, says Houde.

Failed to get his glove on it.  Fleury stayed in position.

Weber one-timer.

I’m craving Montreal pizza all of the sudden.  That Brothers franchise.

Kunitz.  Gets free.  This one is also waved off.  Price stopped it.  Whistle. And then it slid in.

Kunitz’ contact with the goalie allowed the puck to go in.  Pushed him in.  Ref explains it to Gionta.  Seems your buddy Kunitz is good at cheating.

Leg on Price’s pad.  Purposeful   He should get an unsportsmanlike.  No goal is the final decision.

Faceoff.  Diaz.  Turns full circle.  Passes to Eller.  Eller carries it in and eschews the dump.  Good.

Eller on the hash.  Advances, brakes and retreats smartly.

Subban shot.  Pacioretty is reaching and off balance.  Not enough torque.   Staal exits.  Covered.  Of course, he’s so slow.  No shot.

Penalty ends, however.

Cole is tripped on entry.  No call.

Under fifteen.

Win, loss, win, loss, win, loss.  Not a Stanley Cup-winning rate of exchange.

Desharnais finds Cole.  Martin ties up the big forward on the follow-through.

Thick crust.  Good cheese.  Spicy sauce.  They’re a chain but they’re solid.

Stoppage.

Bombers and Lions, Houde reminds us.   Like 1988.   Murphy.  Seventy-two yards.  This time, I’m supporting BC.  Gasp.

Carey Price evokes a wow from Houde.

The crowd rises.  Nice shot from the circle top off a drop pass from Crosby.  Good save.  Glove.

He’s quick.  Isn’t he.  Bent and the glove was just below knee level.

High stick now.  Pens.  Ref insists with a strong word or two.  Fucken go.  Fucken go.

Subban took the stick o the head.  You have to show em who’s the ref, I guess.

Montreal man advantage.

Turnover.  Staal.  To Cooke.  Great save by Price.  And another good one on the immediate rebound.

Nice.  Bien fait Carey Price.  That’s how you play.

Twelve oh seven.  Eller deep.  Michalek is knocked down.

Orpik has some words for Eller.  Eller says the right things and isn’t molested.

Price is so calm.  Replay on the Staal shot.  Stayed on his knees sliding mildly to his left moments before the second save.

Eller knocked down Michalek legitimately and I’m not sure that should have been interference.

Four on four.

You can’t hit a guy unless he has the puck or just got rid of it.  So.

Kunitz. To the net.  A stick is lost and we hear the sound of wood on ice.  But most sticks are made of a composite of fiberglass, plastic and other much-loved materials.   I guess one could sound like wood on contact.

Pens go to the man advantage for a minuet.  Plekanec interrupts and clears.

Both teams seem sugared off.  Not Price.  He’s sugar on.  Glove and the play is stopped. The crowd watches him leave his net for the TV timeout.

Gorges and Subban are on.  So is Crosby.  Gorges and Subban combine for one good exit.  Then a second. They’ve improved so much as pair.  And as individuals.  Different arcs.  Gorges is playing like a ten year vet.  Quick and smart decisions.  Simple.  And safe.  I love it.

Official is down.  Back up.  Hit by a puck.  Centre ice faceoff.

Desharnais wins it against Staal.  On strength.  Forces the stick back.  Short guys often have great weight-lifting programs.  St. Louis and Bouillon come to mind.

Cole to Pacioretty in the crease.  Cole is electrifying.  He’s different than he was in Carolina.  Or did I just now notice his style.  He seemed more like a viper back then.  Now he’s like a rogue ox.

Don’t underestimate the quickness of an ox.  They’re quicker than we are.  For example.

I’m serious.

Seven and a half.

Five in the screen again.  Price stops a long one.  He watches a mild skirmish after the whistle.  No further animosity.

Price montage.  He’s good and getting better.  He’s no Roberto Luongo.  Luongo is a disaster.   And not as advertised.   Never was.  Never believe a scouting report.  Always see the film for yourself.  I took it for granted when people said he was the best goalie in the world in Florida.  I know a bit better now.

Six and thirteen.  Fleury, the skittish Fleury, stops one in close.  Bad technique.

Nice kid, seems.

Cole.  Just a bit far.  The puck refused to collaborate with Cole, says Houde.  Direct translation.  Cole keeps working.   Around the net.  Jams.  Desharnais follows up and Fleury has it.

That line is tired.  Each of the three is bent over and panting.  Good to see. Hard work.  Hard work.  And more hard work.

Why just show up?  Make a deposit.  Grate some cheese.  Mince some genuine basil.  Sprinkle.  And add the onions late.  Why not.  Gonna play?  May as well be great.  Get it?

Five and a half.

Anaheim has won only six games this season.  Shot of Selanne on the break.

Faceoff outside the Montreal blue.  Eller wins t.  Moen clears down to Gorges.

I hated losing Rivet but Gorges’ acquisition has been good, good, goute.

Eller, waiting, waiting, coverage joins Cammalleri and the pass is late.  No shot.

Staal to the net.  Three guys are beaten.  And so is Price.  High.  What an awful player to give up a goal to.

High over the shoulder after a stickhandling attempt.

It’s ugly.

Montreal 3, Pittsburgh 3

The Staals.  Ugh.

Four minutes.

The teams are tired.   And the Canadiens are hurt.  Dispirited briefly.  Desharnais is unaffected.  He’s like Koivu.  Minds is own thoughts.  Has his own take.  And it allows him to emerge in moments like these.  Cole and Desharnais set it up.  Big shot.  Good save.

Letang is hit and bleeding after the play.  Huge hit.

I think Pacioretty got him.  Two unpleasant men collide.  Pacioretty is shown, unapologetic.  There’s a reason Chara ran him.

Angle is deceptive.  Replay needed from a better angle.  Here’s one.

Letang saw Pacioretty and shot.  Shoulder to the head.  Pacioretty could have avoided it.  Should be a suspension and penalty.

Pacioretty says something self-critical on the bench.

Crosby shakes his head outside the Montreal blue line.  Pacioretty is upset about the outcome.  But.  He could have avoided it.  Letang also saw it and elected to shoot.  Regardless.  The onus should be on the hitter.

Three and fourteen.  No call.  Are you kidding?

I shake my head.

Pacioretty evinces a convincing concern.  I wonder how genuine it is.

Letang left the ice on his own, more or less.

Not a fan of either but debilitating hits are unneeded.

Two and a half.

Emelin muscles a man. Goes after the puck behind his net.  Finds it.  Launches.  But a long pass is too long and Gionta can’t win the race.  Icing, Montreal.

Two and twelve.  Price is ready, glove high.  Crosby wins it.  Long shot is wide from the circle top.  Malkin, I think.  Looks like a late-game configuration from Bylsma.

One thirty nine.

Moen.  Right side.  Brakes and is tripped at the hash.

Crosby over the left side.  Winds up.  Way wide.

Eller now.  Cross ice.  Turns around and launches a pass to the open Emelin, nobody around.  He shoots it down.  Malkin is angry.

Canadiens crowded wouldn’t let him go to his bench.  Blocked.  Grabbed.  Moen.  Malkin calls him an asshole and is incensed on the bench.

Moen is agitating in his secretive veteran way.  Refs let it all go.  The rules change depending on the clock.  That’s your NHL.

Subban Gorges are on with twenty-five seconds left.  Staal, Neal and the other guy are on for Pittsburgh.

Puck is hit high and the whistle goes.

Faceoff at centre ice.

Four on four.  This will be entertaining for people non-Floe and non-Horseshoe.

For us.  It’s a kind of torture.

Eleven eleven.  And 39-27.  Shots on goal.

Overtime
Montreal 3, Pittsburgh 3

Five minutes.  Four on four.

Letang is back on the ice.  Houde and Denis agree that this is good news.  Denis adds that his being Quebecois is an added plus in a game like this.

Oh.

Pacioretty has that little evil smile again.

Crosby and Eller.  Eller with good energy.  The kid works hard.  He’s tough-minded.  Martin will grow to like him.  If he doesn’t already.  Martin is notoriously tough on his younger players.  But its’ a means of teaching.

Both teams struggle to tame the disc.  One skirmish at Price’s net but no shots.  Then an offside entry by Cammalleri.

Eller is breathing hard, too.  On the bench now.

Four.

Kunitz.  Rounds net.  Long shot results.  Price and his pads, low.

Already in his on-the-knees position.

Three and a half.

Staal brakes at the right hash.  Shoots.  Good.  Shoot more. What an inaccurate shooter.

Yes, he beat Price high.  I’d like to see it done more nine times.   Not likely.

Neal and Engelland.  Letang low.  Letang with a good journey.

Puck ends at the crease.  No stoppage.

Where is it.  Somehow it gets in the net.

What happened.

Price breaks his stick after a pause.

Should have been whistled.

The Canadiens stay on the bench.  Hard to see on the replay.

Questionable non-call.   Crowd stays.

Finally the team leaves.

Ugly ending.

Final Score
Pittsburgh Penguins 4
Montreal Canadiens 3 (OT)

HDS Stars: Josh Gorges, Carey Price, Hal Gill
RDS Stars: Kris Letang, Erik Cole, Carey Price

Shouldn’t have been a goal, says Mario.  Unacceptable.  He’s sure that Pierre Gauthier is on the phone to the powers that be.

It’s too late for that.  It’s a judgement call and the angles we were shown weren’t convincing in either direction.

Kris Letang.  First star from the RDS viewers.  Ludicrous.  Franco frailty.

Renaud Lavoie tells us that Max Pacioretty apologized to Kris Letang after the play saying that he didn’t see him there.

In the dressing room, Price says he had it.  Asked what the ref said about it, Price responds, “Didn’t say anything.  He ran off.”  He’s pissed off and keeping it even keel.  Nothing he can do about it.  Reminds me of someone when he says it.  Someone lanky from Medicine Hat.  Someone who used to catch footballs thrown by one Kelly Hrudey.

Price won this one.  Too bad it won’t show up that way.

Related posts:

1. Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
2. Montreal Canadiens vs. Edmonton Oilers
3. Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres
4. Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
5. Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
6. Montreal Canadiens vs. Atlanta Thrashers