Canadiens @ Leafs Top Six Minutes: Heading home with a split

Pre-Game Thoughts

• Kotkaniemi in for Evans
• Galchenyuk in for Tavares
• I am a few wine tastings in and we are in for one hell of a game - lessgo

First Period

• Gally came to play
• Kotkaniemi jumps on the loose puck and gets the first of the game putting the Habs up 1-0
• Moments later, the ref gets in the way of an attempted clearing, Spezza sneaks the puck from in front of Simmonds and then snipes one by Price
• Price looking sharp again through the first
• It’s almost as if...Kotkaniemi should have been playing all along
• Imagine - if you will - that we had a functioning power play
• A little knee-on-knee action on Perry courtesy of Simmonds at the tail end of the period
• Gally and Kotkaniemi going over video at the end of the first - you love to see it
• SOG 9 a piece heading into the first intermission with the game tied at 1

Second Period

• Another quick start to the second
• Gally gets a rush chance and rips it high of Campbell
• Holl and Matthews on the rush, Matthews hits the rebound in and the Leafs are up 2-1
• Gally called for high-sticking and Lehkonen called for slashing immediately after the first penalty kill is up - Habs kill off both, somehow
• Kotkaniemi quietly 80% in the faceoff circle so far tonight - p good
• Kotkaniemi called for cross checking aka being remotely aggressive during the play
• Sandin scores, Leafs up 3-1
• Dom calling goaltender interference which is honestly a waste of a challenge - goal stands and Habs head back to the PK
• Bit of a nasty hit by Hyman on Kotka to end the second
• SOG 29-15 in favour of the Leafs with Toronto up 3-1 heading into the third

Third Period

• Okay, Anderson - let’s see it
• Slow start to the third
• Engvall knocks Weber down who clearly takes offense and is then called for cross-checking. Habs back to the PK
• Nylander scores, Leafs up 4-1
• Trying to remember the last time the Habs won when I wrote the TSM
• I see Chiarot-Weber is a thing again because why not revert to things that clearly didn’t work before
• Can we try Caufield now or what
• Price pulled for the extra attacker at 6.5 mins left because why not
• Kerfoot gets the empty net with 1:23 left in the game
• Byron called for cross-checking, Habs to end the game shorthanded
• Getting chippy now
• Weber and Engvall sent off the ice
• Habs heading back to Montreal tied at one and my lord, the next one is going to be interesting

Highlight of the Game

...Nope...nada.

EOTP 3 Stars

3) The team really gave him his workout tonight

2) Can’t ask for more from a player coming in after a scratch

1) Not the greatest decision the management has made this year