First period
- Thanks for flying Garry Galley all the way to Denver to call the Habs game, Sportsnet.
- Alexandre Carrier is tasked with the MacKinnon line’s first shift. He makes sure to protect the slot
- Montreal is having some trouble getting ahold of the puck in the opening minutes.
- The first Montreal penalty comes at four minutes — just one player tonight — and that happens when you’re stuck in your own zone.
- The Canadiens use the penalty kill to find their legs a bit.
- Then a silly pass from Mike Matheson across his own zone to no one results in another shift spent in the Habs’ end.
- Alex Newhook slashes the stick out of Samuel Girard’s hands, and that bit of offensive-zone time is cut off at about seven seconds.
- It was only a matter of time before the Avalanche found a goal with that much zone time. Nathan MacKinnon sends a pass to the side of the net that goes off Mikko Rantanen’s foot and in.
- Jakub Dobes’s dream of a career 1.000 save percentage is over.
- Kirby Dach loses a fight with the Avalanche net. Who decided to put that there anyway?
- The top line gets the first dangerous chance for Montreal.
- Later in the shift, Ross Colton gets sent in on a breakaway and takes a shove in the back from Lane Hutson to bowl over Dobes. That results in a power play for Montreal.
- The power play made some passes, but it really misses Patrik Laine.
- I wouldn’t say the Canadiens are playing well now, but they are playing a little bit better with some puck touches in Colorado’s zone at five-on-five.
- The Suzuki line is starting to look really good as the period winds down.
- Despite how outclassed Montreal looked in the opening 10 minutes, they only allowed eight shots, and started to control the play in the final minutes.
Second period
- MacKinnon spins and goes down hard on his tailbone in the offensive zone and looks for a call. The problem is the light contact on the back of his skate from Dvorak clearly wasn’t enough to cause that to happen. The ref should have called MacKinnon for diving.
- The start of the second period is looking a lot like the start of the first, unfortunately.
- And again, Montreal starts to take over in the second half of the period.
- Kaiden Guhle goes right after Rantanen, knocking him down and taking the puck. That’s the best way to contain that line.
- As Montreal evens up the shot counter, the Avalanche get one chance, and Matheson goes off for tripping at the side of the net.
- Another one of these good teams gets away with a pick on a Montreal penalty-killer at the blue line. At least this one didn’t result in a chance.
- Zero shots allowed by the penalty kill. This has been a good defensive display.
- One last flurry by Colorado’s top line is thwarted by Dobes, and the Canadiens leave the period still down a goal.
- Shots are 13-12 Colorado. The Avalanche’s season low in shots is 19,
Third period
- Anderson gets turned aside by Blackwood in the opening 30 seconds. That close to a tie game.
- Jake Evans just can’t get to a puck that would have been a point-blank shot. Montreal looks very good here.
- Artturi Lehkonen is called for high-sticking Caufield. He’s adamant that is was Caufield’s own stick, but he’s the only one who seems to think so.
- Kirby Dach makes another turnover on a blue-line pass, and moments later gets called for tripping while on the backhcekc.
- Every time Dach attempts a backhand pass, he should have to do 50 push-ups. It’s a disaster every time.
- Jake Evans gets robbed by Blackwood on a three-way passing play with his linemates.
- Dobes stops Colton then quickly fires the puck to the far blue line for Brendan Gallagher. Gallagher was a little bit to eager to get an assist for his new goalie and was a few inches offside.
- Hutson maes the rare decision and shoot, and his shot just misses the top corner. Montreal gets a couple more chances, and Colorado is forced to ice the puck.
- Guhle gives the puck away to Cale Makar and the rest of Colorado’s top fivesome, but recovers with a block out of play at the end of the shift.
- The Avalanche think they’re going to get another chance, but Evans says no. He pokes the puck away at the blue line, and Hutson sends Nick Suzuki and Caufield the other way to tie the game. That’s Caufield’s 21st.
- The Avalanche are just grabbing every Habs player they see now.
- With three minutes to play, the shots are 21-17 Montreal.
- Caufield flies into the zone, drops the puck back to Dvorak, and Blackwood makes the blocker save.
- Dobes makes a great save on Rantanen.
- Guhle goes to the box as the refs insert themselves into the game at the final moment. A horrendous call in the final two minutes. Even Galley thought it was a bad call.
- Shots are 22-19 Montreal, and power plays are 5-2 Colorado. That just doesn’t add up.
- Sorry ref, this game is going to overtime.
Overtime
- Guhle goes on a breakaway out of the penalty box. It would have been a perfect end, but he is denied.
- Josh Anderson and Devon Toews are called for coincidental minors. Not a bad tradeoff.
- Lehkonen puts his hip into Dobes after being stripped on a breakaway by Guhle and that’s a second goaltender interference call on Colorado. Dobes is hurt on the play, and takes breather at the bench.
- Now Lehkonen gets a breakaway out of the box. Dobes makes another save.
- Lots of animosity at the end of the game. Just setting the tone for the Stanley Cup Final…
- Dobes’s save percentage may not be 1.000, but it will be .982 after two games.
Shooutout
- Montreal has already claimed an improbably point, so this would just be a bonus.
- Caufield puts on some early pressure with the opening goal.
- Dobes makes a glove save on Jonathan Drouin and flings the puck away.
- Suzuki had Blackwood beat, but lost the handle as he went to shoot on his backhand.
- Rantanen tries to bait Dobes into a move. He doesn’t and makes a save off his crest.
- Dach scores on a great deke, and Montreal wins.
- 4-1-0 on an extremely difficult road trip.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) Maybe al little strip on a breakaway as he crashes into the net as well
2) He looks like a good one
1) They just keep finding ways to impress
