Top Six Minutes

Canadiens vs Leafs Top Six Minutes: So it begins with a big win

The season kicks off, as is tradition, with the Leafs and Habs. As is a more unfortunate tradition, the Habs looked pretty bad, but Carey Price picked up just where he left off and was absolutely stellar, and our captain opened and closed the scoring.

By Namiko Hitotsubashi@namikohito Oct 7, 2015, 10:09pm EDT

For our new readers and members, the Top Six Minutes is a continuation of the discussion in the game thread. We try to keep it light and entertaining. Full recaps are up the morning after every game.

It's finally here, it's finally time for meaningful hockey. What a great opening video compilation.

People are actually saying Bishop is a better puck mover than Price. Hahahaha
Toronto is playing the music for Mad Max. Somehow that doesn't seem like a good decision on their behalf given who the Habs' captain is...
Have the talking heads payed any attention to the fact that Galchenyuk's protection at centre exists in the form of defensive specialist Lars Eller? Apparently they missed that memo. I'm not bitter or biased. (Says the girl in the Eller jersey.)
Roars for Babcock, and cool lighting for the team intros. Not as cool or dramatic (or as good) as the Habs opener last year. Lots of good Ontario boys. Don Cherry must be pleased.
I'm sorry Leafs, that was really dull. Thank goodness for the anthem.

First Period

Emelin has...adventures, and Price saves everyone. Some things never change. sigh.
I forgot how unentertaining listening to SportsNet is during Habs/Leafs games.
Not a great start from the Habs, but Price is Price, so it's ok?
Two seasons with Pacioretty scoring the opening goal of the season. Our Captain, ladies and gentlemen. Morgan Rielly tried. He tried so hard.
#AlmostWeise. (Please don't let that become the new #AlmostBourque)
That was gross. How dare you Komarov. That's a DSP penalty I'll take. How Komarov only got two is beyond me.
Boyes is a great story, but let's not complete it by having him score in his first game, ok guys?
I love the Sid & Nate Tim Horton's commercial. It's my favourite thing.
Bless Carey Price for being so solid and so technically perfect.
Devante Smith-Pelly may be under criticism for a lot of things, but one thing he has done is get fast. He's keeping up and beating people up the ice.
The Habs are playing in their own end lots and lots and lots. And we're being saved by Price. It's gonna be a long season isn't it.
Sometimes I forget Desharnais is really small, and then he goes to take a faceoff and I remember.
Good lord Kadri. Gross Leafs, gross.
On the other hand, Galchenyuk on the first wave of the PP is a nice change from last year, especially with Eller camped out in Bernier's face.
On the other hand, Habs gonna Hab. Yes. Being 0 for 1 on the first powerplay of the season is so concerning.
Oh dear Habs... please get yourselves together. Thank goodness for Price. How many more times do I need to say this tonight.
Jeff Petry. Good at hockey.
Biggest cheer of the night goes to the Blue Jays players in attendance.
Emelin and Subban are both in again, so at least gross hits didn't do any lasting damage.
That was a really nice defensive play by Fleischmann.
I don't want to know what the shot count is. I bet it's disgusting. 11-7. Oh. Nowhere near as bad as I thought.
Beautiful feature on Carey Price, who is a beautiful human being.

Second Period

That was a gross goal. The Leafs are gross. And not in a good way.
Phaneuf wraps himself around Patch's stick, but no call. Thanks refs.
The Galchenyuk line doesn't look as goofy now that it's the regular season, but still looking good.
Carey Price is really good at hockey. Nathan Beaulieu also very good at hockey.
I'm never not gonna be able to think of Mitchell and Flynn as a set.
Wow SportsNet. Could you be any more biased. (Sadly the answer is yes)
PETRY.
Or not. Yeah Plekanec absolutely got him with his stick. Bah.
On the other hand, Petry's shot was beautiful.
Beaulieu got hit in the face. That's three banged up defencemen in less than 40 minutes of hockey. I don't like this game.
Lars Eller is a force to be reckoned with.
The Habs system is...bad...nonexistent...really terrible... I don't know how many different ways I have to say this.
For how terribly the Habs are playing they're only being outshot by three? Really? Ok then.
Carey Price is really, really, REALLY good at hockey.
My take-away from that period is that Carey Price is really good, the Leafs should stop trying to break our defencemen, and DSP looks pretty good today.
Desharnais had more ice time than every other forward. The third line has more ice time as a group than all the other lines. Why. Oh right. #JustTherrienThings. At least the usual suspects are doing very well in CF%...

Third Period

So if the Habs are doing the usual Habs things, that means the third period will be their best period right? Right?
The Galchenyuk line starts strongly, but nothing comes of it. Or nothing good anyway. We continue to have Carey Price though.
Repeated head-desking
They just said Therrien was doing a great job as coach. More head-desking
And the first line and first pairing gets stuck in their own end. They had possession the whole time, but they just couldn't get out.
Weise missed from there. At least Desharnais is shooting though. #GhostsOfReneBourque
The Galchenyuk line ensures that their goal streak continues on a beautiful shot by Galchenyuk. I feel less full of doom and gloom now.
My confidence in the refs isn't very high right now. On the other hand, if Mitchell's gonna take a penalty, that's the one to take I guess?
1:20 left in the game. I'm just gonna watch the rest of the game through my fingers. It's gonna be a long season.
Carey Price is already in godmode. It's game one.
Our Captain with the empty netter.
Habs win!