Canadiens vs. Penguins Top Six Minutes: On the Brink

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.

So how is everyone feeling? I wasn’t expecting anything coming into this series, and technically I’m still not, but dang it, Carey Price gave me hope, and now I’m anxious.

Probably unpopular opinion, but a Habs home game isn’t a Habs home game if there is no Coldplay.

First Period

• Brendan Gallagher is playing tonight. That’s a relief.
• After seeing several western conference teams go beyond words to support the Black Lives Matter movement, it’s pretty disappointing that no one on the Canadiens or Penguins have done anything similar.
• Oh no. Maybe Gally’s not ok after all...
• Habs look better overall so far though.
• Gally is on the ice, so there’s that.
• O CAPTAIN, OUR CAPTAIN. They left him all alone. I guess no one expected him to get that close.
• AYYYYY good goal! (Can we decline the power play, this is not a reward.)
• Huh. They held the zone for the majority of the power play. I’m shocked. Like, it wasn’t stellar or anything, but that’s pretty good by the standards we’ve seen lately.
• Oh lord. Don’t let them do that. Good thing Price is awake.
• I love Lehkonen at all times, but playoff Lehkonen is my favorite.
• ...That was...not good, Shea.
• You let the Penguins wake up. That is bad. That is very bad.
• Dear Montreal, please WAKE UP.
• Dear boys in red, dooooooo something.
• That hit from Kotkaniemi definitely counts as doing something.
• Wow, Montreal. Pull yourselves together.
• I mean, score-wise 2-1 after 20 isn’t bad. However...

Second Period

• Starting periods on a power play are never good. Habs starting the period on the power play sounds even worse.
• The best thing that can be said about that is that Pittsburgh didn’t score short-handed.
• Montreal is so lucky that Price is awake.
• Sigh.
• The Habs look as lethargic as I feel. This is a problem.
• Where even was that penalty. I could buy Armia taking one...but the Pittsburgh penalty??
• That was easily the Habs’ best power play in a while.
• Carey!!!
• On the one hand, the Habs were sellers at the deadline. They’re not built with playoff success in mind. So it’s not terribly surprising they’re struggling. On the other hand, they could definitely be doing better than they are with this same lineup.
• JODROUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!! Let that be the monkey off his back!!
• Deeply unimportant side note...can we talk about how silly the laces look without the top of the collar also being open?
• Oh no, Jake Evans finally got into the lineup for the first time, and he gets this.
• AMAZING. Shocked. I’m shocked. Bless Lord Byron. (And a nice assist from Suzuki.)
• This is more like what I was talking about. Montreal’s looking alive.
• Habs definitely got much stronger as the period progressed. Now just to keep that going.

Third Period

• Suzuki is still with Tatar and Gallagher, and this makes me happy.
• Another power play. Why are they doing this to us.
• That didn’t go in?? Could have sworn it did. Nope. Post (and about six other things after that).
• KK squaring up to Letang.
• That was...also a surprisingly good power play. Drouin is shooting again, which is also good.
• OH. MY. GOD. I cannot believe Jeff Petry made that shot. (Remember when we got him from Edmonton for some tape and a bag of pucks??)
• I was resigned. Now I’m back to being anxious.
• CAREY.
• The ice is looking pretttttty rough.
• They FINALLY gave him run support. Price is gonna allow a goal over his dead body.
• Gallagher and Suzuki were ever so close to giving the Habs a bit of a cushion there. sob
• The problem with playing against Pittsburgh is that, no matter how out of it they look, they can score at ANY moment.
• Especially if you give them a power play. headdesk.
• The net is empty and I am STRESSED.
• Penalty. Killed.
• GAME. WON.
• I am astounded. Thrilled, but astounded.

EOTP 3 Stars

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