Top Six Minutes

Canadiens vs Flames Top Six Minutes: All hail Carey Price

The Canadiens did not play a very good game. Their goaltender however, looked like someone who won an Olympic gold medal or something. All hail Carey Price.

By Matt Drake@DrakeMT Oct 29, 2014, 12:07am EDT

There's no way that this game could be worse than last night's tilt, eh? Wait a sec, excuse me while I go knock on every piece of wood in my apartment. I'm superduperstitious, it's a whole new level that needs its own word.
The Flames have been 'finding ways to win' per Sportsnet, which translates roughly to 'Leafing it.' Let's get this one, Habs.
Gordie Howe is a legend of hockey, and I hope everyone will join me in wishing him the very best in his recovery. Hang tough, Gordie.

1st Period

No whistles in the first three minutes of play. After last night that feels like an entire period. Good news, I think.
Also no shots on goal in the first three minutes. That's probably not good news.
Joe Colborne just made my list of people I would like to sucker punch if given the opportunity. Stay away from Price, you jerkfaced jerk.
Powerplay update: It still sucks. Are they even trying to fix it? I really can't tell.
Galchenyuk shaken up on a pretty clear hit to the numbers. Not sure what the ref was looking at there, but let's hope Chucky gets back quick.
So hits from behind are ok, but a clean play by Subban soon after gets called. I think I may get to complain about the refs a lot tonight. Yay.
Why on earth is Alexei Emelin cross checking people into his own goaltender? What's the Russian term for smarten up? I am incapable of answering either of these questions.
Now a dumb hooking penalty by the aforementioned Russian puts the Flames on a 5 on 3. He's probably somehow going to lead all Habs defensemen in ice time tonight, isn't he.
Carey Price is really, really good. Imagine the Habs didn't have him ... I can't even. They do, and it rocks.
Poweplay update: Well, they got one shot ... that's one less than the first one, which was already not good. It was a good shot from Gallagher, so maybe an early silver lining?
#AlmostBourque strikes again. Is there a way he can be convinced that all games are playoff games?
Seems there's going to be a lot of penalties in this game. That's probably a really bad thing for the CH considering that Calgary likely has more use for powerplays than they do.
Shorthanded time aside, Montreal looks like the better team after one, although perhaps a bit tired for their second game in as many nights. No excuses, boys. Get it done.

2nd Period

Offsetting penalties real early in the period for I have no idea what. Gonna say 'attention starved Zebra' because complaining about those jerks is kinda my thing.
Habs getting owned four on four, Price keeps the puck out. Habs keep getting owned, eventually he can't keep it out. This ain't looking good, folks.
Remember what I said about Montreal being the better team in the first? Yeah, that's over. They look like a team that has given up right now.
If not for Carey Price, the Flames are surely up three or four by now. This team is either really tired, or they don't want it at all.
Shots are now 18-8 in favour of the Flames. Yep, they have no interest in winning this game.
Some pressure finally, but I think Alexei Emelin should be expressly instructed to never shoot the puck. Even if he has a clear lane, because he does not have a very accurate shot.
FINALLY. Tom Gilbert fires a seeing eye shot past Hiller. NO SHUTOUT TONIGHT SUCKAZ.
Nice dive by Giordano there. Real nice. Fools the ref and sends Pacioretty to the box. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE: Giordano gets called for embellishment. Sweet justice. Props to the Zebra, and remember that because I don't do it often.
Eller gets a roughing call for bumping into someone, and I immediately retract my Zebra compliment. OK, that one was maybe legit... Maybe. Lots of penalties in this one.
Price is in fine form tonight, and they're going to waste it if they can't out together more than four or five consecutive minutes of good hockey. I'd probably settle for four or five at this point though.
All hail Carey Price. If the Habs are going to win this, he's the first star.

3rd Period

SCREW YOU, HILLER.
I have no idea how Jonas Hiller kept the puck out on the Pacioretty/Gallagher two on zero. No idea. Perhaps he is inspired by the dude at the other end.
Ain't buying no tired excuse after this one because they're finally showing some jump in the third. Maybe they actually do want to win this game, and I was just being a defeatist.
Then again, that little bit of jump was followed by some lengthy offensive zone time for Calgary. This game is annoying and the Habs need out of Alberta, very badly.
Carey Price is not human. He can't be human. If he's really human, I feel like a failure as a human. Might have just broke the record for use of the word human in a single bullet point. Someone call Guinness.
How many times have the Habs missed the net tonight?
Tinordi's hit on Stajan looked pretty bad, but upon further review, it was an incidental knee on knee. Of course, it still draws a crowd, and a penalty because it looked bad.
The strategy at this point seems to be as follows: Stay shorthanded for the rest of the third, and bank on Carey Price. Let's see how long that can last.
Alexei Emelin has just been brutal tonight. Bad penalties, bad everything. He's clearly buying in to my aforementioned gameplan though. Yay.
Gilbert's diving play to knock the puck off Johnny Gaudreau's skate was a thing of beauty. Good no call by the ref because he got all puck and it was fabulous.
Carey Price has officially stolen a point in a game the Canadiens have no business being in. Carey Price is your mom's favourite player, your Aunt's favourite player, and likely your sister's favourite player too. Deal with it.

Overtime/Shootout

OT strategy appears to be more of the same from the third: Bank on Carey Price. Good thing he's Carey Price. Carey Price.
Habs way over committing with three guys down low, Flames get a three on one, but Carey F'n Price, man. Even when it looks like all is lost, he's there with the stop.
Habs wait until the final 30 seconds of OT to apply some real pressure, and we're heading for a shootout.
Hudler stopped by Price because Price.
Galchenyuk gets a little too deep on the deke, stopped by Hiller.
Sean Monahan: STOPPED BY THE GLOVE OF CAREY F'N PRICE
David Desharnais tries to go forehand, should have gone backhand.
Gaureau tries to score on a rebound, that's not allowed in the shootout buddy. PRICED.
P.A. PARENTEAU WINS IT FOR MONTREAL.
ALL HAIL CAREY PRICE