Canadiens vs. Avalanche Top Six Minutes: Colorado cools the Canadiens

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.

Pre-game:

• Let me just say, it’s my birthday and a win would be the icing on the cake...or better yet, the wine in the glass.
• Okay, Primeau, let’s see what ya got.

First period:

• Oh, this is not a good start. Ninety seconds in and Zadorov with a gut wrenching hit on Kotkaneimi who falls awkwardly after a kind of a cartwheel move then lands on his head.
• And he’s out of it. This is not good.
• Join the slewfoot or clean debate. If you have a nervous disposition, look away now:

• What the hell kind of scramble was that in front of the net? I don’t blame you for that one, Primeau. 1-0 Colorado.
• Fleury with a big hit as per the norm.
• This is a surprisingly physical game and we’re only mid-way through the first.
• So a butt end of the stick to Domi’s face doesn’t warrant a call. Here’s hoping we get out of this one alive.
• Ooohh...I’m gonna have to give you part blame for that one Cayden. Petry can have the other half.
• Check out the smooth moves of Nate Thompson! It didn’t result in a goal but I think it was definitely worth a Thompson Shimmy.

Second period:

• Nerves should be gone now that you have the first period under your belt, Primeau. Let’s get ‘er done.
• “Gallagher hesitates along the boards”. I don’t think I’ve ever heard the words ‘Gallagher’ and ‘hesitates’ in the same sentence before.
• Kotkaniemi is out with an upper-body injury. After that fall, he’s lucky it wasn’t a broken neck injury.
• Lehkonen draws a penalty. Now’s our chance.
• Calvert with a shorty. That one is actually on you, Primeau.
• Chiarot and Weber get in a footrace with McKinnon. The result — Chiarot heads to the box.
• It doesn’t really matter how much Primeau stops if we’re not going to score. Come on!
• Nothing like a Gally goal to get things going!

Third period:

• We only need three goals for the win. Keep it simple...Lehkonen hat trick.
• Burakovsky gives Tatar a bear hug and off to the power play we go.
• Cousins takes advantage and makes it a one-goal game!
• Penalty kill time. Hang in there, Cayden. They’re trying our best. Well, they’re trying...
• Primeau breaks out the old scorpion save!
• What a play by Domi to get the puck to Lehkonen and stupid Francouz stopped it. Did you not hear about my Lehkonen hat trick plan?
• A flurry of activity in front of Francouz — led by Gallagher — but can’t tie it up.
• If only we had this energy for the first 40 minutes.
• So, no birthday gift then?

EOTP 3 Stars

3) It was bound to work at some point

2) Where did that come from?

1) The sparkplug helped to make it a game, at least