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

Posted on by Shannon

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

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