I thought I’d try something different here, a delayed live game blog for a change. Beats having to remember everything or watching the game twice to double check. Here’s what I got. Let me know if you enjoy the format, I just might do it again.
I get a big giggle out of the”SENS” third jerseys – how unclassy and dull. Imagine a “HABS” or “LEAFS” versions. I guess this is strictly reserved for the minor teams in the major leagues, like the “BOLTS”!
Right off the start, Canadiens fans in Ottawa, booing the refs. Gotta love it!
Spezza rams Kovy from behind in the neutral zone three minutes in. Typical. A tough guy play where it doesn’t matter, and then he’ll be a noodle where it counts most.
Brisebois, hesitant, almost chased down by Alfredsson late in the powerplay.
Brisebois, mulligans passing it in front of Hasek. I’ve got 911 on stanby for the upcoming stroke. He needs to be rested for a few I think. Trouble is having no D on hand to give him a rest.
Guillaume’s looking good, and always does against Ottawa. I’m expecting one from him and AK46 tonight.
Spezza gets dumb again. Don’t hook and slash, stupid. Skate in, gain and edge, and take a player out with your six foot frame for a change. If rumours are true and Columbus is interested in him – good luck. How quick could Ken Hitchcock make mince meat of this wimp?
Alfredsson goes for two. Hartsburgh – has 911 on standbye too – looks up to the roof, rolls his eyes, keeps on sweating.
Deadly Kovy at the side of the net. Razor passes from Lang don’t hurt. What a feed! Thanks for setting the tone Spezza! The fans of the….ahem…home team, go nuts!
The inevitable even up call, Ruuttu let’s gravity do the work and the refs bite. Komisarek gone for two.
Bouillon goes late to the boards, hitting a players already covered by Kovy. Brisebois is doubled up at the net. 1-1 game.
Make that five games in a row for AK46! He’ll each 30 guaranteed.
Jesse Winchster’s father is a teacher at my daughter’s Holy Trinity school in Cornwall. A few weeks back he caught a basketball in the noggin on the way down some stairs. His books were tossed and he took a spill. My daughter got to draw a mural of it, on a snow day last last week. My daughter says Mr. Winchester is one huge Habs fan!
Nice move Brian Lee, slapping Kovy – the man with the loosest helmet in the league – behind the ears. Take two, young man!
The Senators PK is cement stiff. Little puck pressure at all.
A whole minute’s shift from the NRG line of Max, Gui, and the Bomb.
Chris Neil looking to stir it up – take note Gregory Stewart!
SECOND PERIOD
Pacioretty turns the puck over, and is the first forward back at the Habs blueline on the Ottawa rush.
Can’t wait for game’s end to tally the Latendresse shot count for hits, misses, and attempts.
Not sure about putting out the Begin, Dags, Stewart combo against the Senators top trio. Phew! Thank God it was short lived!
Plekanec on a break. He misses. One more stride of room needed for a better forehand. I take it back. On the replay, Pleks looked at the puck to long and ran out of room on his own.
Lapierre takes the puck from his own end, around Spezza like the Senator is tumbleweed.
Neil, one Senators clearly disgusted with the team’s present state of affairs. and it shows!
Nice tag team slam on Nick Foligno by Hamrlik and Gorges. Good cal. Gorges goes for two for getting tangled in an octopus.
Lang breaks in shorthanded, and is stoned by Elliott.
Another scoring chance on the PK. Whose PP is this anyway?
Kovalev zings a bullet pass to Markov in the left slot. Ottawa can’t keep up with the Canadiens spped of execution.
Montreal is so primed and alert in this one, they are on top of their own mistakes quicker than Ottawa. The boys are doing great work covering for each other and keeping their feet moving.
84 is making it a habit, playing the puck intelligently in more situations than he ever has.
Stewart just misses with a wrecking ball hit. His hard work behind the net pays off, and he finds the hard luck, can’t buy a goal D’ Agostini in the slot for a gimme.
Habs 101 courses in Hamilton are looking like a big payoff tonight. Numbers on the Canadiens who have served time in a Bulldogs jersey are: 8,14, 36, 40, 41, 46, 67, 70, and 74 – nine in all.
Benoit Brunet right before intermission: “Il y a des trous dans la couverture de la defense des Senateurs.”
One the PP again, the Lapierre line, with another shift, and no energy drain.
Renaud Lavoie, off the Lecavalier beat, in the intermission interviews Stewart and brings up Neil. The kid is ready.
THIRD PERIOD
AK46 goes goalpost bowling, thanks to a handy uncalled slash from Winchester.
Brother SK74’s passes are seeming more and more telegraphed. His windups are making targets obvious. Shorten up on the backstroke, bro!
Bad pinch by Hammer. What were you thinking, it’s 3-1. You can’t offer Heatly a 2 on1. Now you’ll have to pay.
That’s two big mistakes by the Habs and two goals against.
Ottawa is working hard, but often the effort has been individual and not as a group. I’m watching that change right now.
Sergei behind the net, fails to react quickly to an open just feet away in the crease.
Gorges, one post away from career goal number 2.
Tom the Bomb finds a pin hole, and gets a seeing eye goal. Here comes the Ottawa Habs fans version of “Na, Na, Na”.
Komisarek whack s his elbow on the glass partition and drops. Spezza makes use of the room to hit Heatley for the goal. Can’t there be some kind of seventh man in call here. A very unlucky break. Hope Komi’s not hurt, cause he’s grimmacing like a bitch on the bench.
Was that TMM for Ottawa. Close.
This Stewart is a killer along the boards. This makes two strong NHL games now. He complements Begin’s intensity. Dare I say the Habs have six NHL calibre forward lines?
Gorges tripped – no call – still rises with the puck.
Kovy hits his 58th goal post of the season. Stop aiming for the damn things, will ya?
Another extended shift for the NRG line. Have to check the TOI totals for thwem after this one.
Almost two minutes to go now, and Halak is my only worry. Okay Breezer too.
Fears confirmed. 4-4 on a Fisher goal at 18:13.
Latendresse hauled down by a crane hook. Should be a penalty shot and not just a penalty. He was on an angle, but still in the clear.
End of regulation. Halak donates a point to the Seantors ressusitation fund.
OVERTIME
A 4 on 3 start to OT is a good, good thing. No room for fancy stuff now.
Habs aren’t carrying the puck in with any success, Losing battles at the boards. Not good.
One golden opportunity, down the pisser.
Whoa! Halak stops a close one!
Kovy, sit off, you are dead beat!
Brisebois, all the way in the Senators end in a puck battle in 4 on 4 OT! Experience…yeah, right! Good thing the puck went over the glass. All he had backing him was D’ Agostini.
Headed for a shootout – I hate the shootout!
My call would be AK46, Gui, and Markov. Carbo goes with Kovy, Lapierre, and Markov.
If Heatly scores on Halak, I’ll need a new remote!
Ottawa shoots first, Spezza’s up, and he wails one a foot over the crossbar. Nice try!
Kovalev, smooth as silk as slow as molasses, beat Elliott along the ice. Yay!
Alfredsson, aims for a leg pad, and hits it. Nice aiming.
Lapierre, skates in energetically, all elbows and knees, and hooks a backhander at the Gatorade bottle.
Habs 5 – Senators 4
“Can’t believe it department” – Ottawa’s best sniper Heatly, never gets off the bench. Dumb, dumb coaching!
Stats check: Latendresse shots, 2 hits, 2 misses, 2 blocks.
Time on ice for the NRG line. Guillaume 17:46, is that a career high? Lapierre 18:27. Kostopoulos 17:49.
Photos courtesy of Canadiens.com and Habs Inside Out.
