Canadiens vs. Ducks Top Six Minutes: Hard-fought homecoming

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

• Finally back on home turf!
• No fans in the building but hopefully this lights a fire under the Habs regardless.
• If nothing else, we’re halfway through the season.

First period

• Toffoli with the best chance for either team five minutes in.
• Bit of a slow start but I’m cool with easing into this.
• Suzuki picks up speed, flies past some Ducks with a close chance but nadda.
• He must have pissed off the Ducks because they start fighting back and Carrick opens the scoring thanks to a turnover... on their second shot on goal.
• Evans picks up a great pass from Savard but misses a pretty wide-open net. Let’s all join Evans in a collective eye roll.
• Did I mention the shots on goal are 13-2 for the Habs?
• Dauphin gets Getzlaf in the face with a high stick and goes to the box for a four-minute nap.
• The bad news: Ducks are up 2-0 after scoring during the first half of the power play.
• The badder news: They scored again during the second half of the power play.
• The good news: Primeau only faced eight shots instead of 20+ shots. #SmallVictories

Second period

• Montembeault is stepping in to try to get this game back on track.
• Evans more than makes up for his whoopsie in the first period! Just 1:15 in, Evans picks up the pass from Pitlick (say that three times fast), drives to the net and gets the puck in while falling to his knees.
• Fun was short-lived. 10 seconds later Zegras shows off his crazy stick tricks and makes it 4-1.
• Lehky power-play goal!!
• Zegras, you’re seriously harshing my buzz this evening. That goal was nowhere near as impressive as your first one. So there. Take that.

Third period

• So Primeau gave it a shot in the first. Montembeault tried the second. Who gets a chance this period? Oh right...
• Deja vu! This time it’s 1:23 in, Pitlick to Evans, and another goal for Evans as he dives towards the net!
• We’ve got ourselves a race to a hat trick between Evans and Zegras. Time to turbo charge, Jake.
• Oh no. Pitlick heads to the box. This hasn’t ended well for us tonight.
• Nice stop, Monty.
• The Habs aren’t going down without a fight. I’ll take it.
• Dauphin gets a penalty shot. It just got interesting!
• And he scores a beauty! We’re down by one with three minutes left. Who saw that coming?
• That was actually pretty fun.

EOTP 3 Stars

3) Can’t blame this season on the young guys

2) Let him claim his Olympic gold first

1) Nice to see the team play (mostly) well at least