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.
On the pre-game show on TSN 690, Pat Hickey theorized the Canadiens will end up somewhere in the top three spots in the East come April; the reasoning was not to underestimate the Stanley Cup champ Pittsburgh Penguins or the Tampa Bay Lightning, who, although they’re a few spots beneath the Canadiens in the standings, have not played their best hockey yet.
The Montreal Canadiens have been at the top of the standings since the beginning of the season, off to a similar start as last year, setting new records for three consecutive hot starts under Michel Therrien. But general manager Marc Bergevin made a big splash this summer re-tooling the roster and so far, the changes have paid big dividends. This team is a lot better than the team that got off to a 9-0-0 start last year.
Although the Canadiens are the team to beat at this stage of the season for the second straight year, and have been playing some great, entertaining hockey, beating both the Penguins and Lightning, they also have not played their best hockey yet. This is a largely different team than was iced last season and they’re still getting to know each other. Stephane Waite has stated that Carey Price still has room for improvement. Chew on that for a bit.
Tonight, Mike Babcock faces two of his favourite Team Canada guys in Price and Shea Weber. He’s got Auston Matthews, heard of that guy? Should be fun. Let’s go.
First period:
- How can you not be up for this game, especially after that opening to I’m Your Boogeyman? Woo!
- Only one anthem! Drop the puck, drop the puck!
- David Desharnais puts up with so much abuse. Even getting manhandled in the faceoff circle. He won – last laugh!
- Having Carey Price as the third defenceman on your line can never be a bad thing
- Ooooh, Artturi, almost! Petry! Almost!
- Hah, CBC just borrowed my ‘third defenceman’ line
- Shea Weber being Shea Weber. We’re only on game 9, yet elaboration on this point seems unnecessary.
- Radulov and Galchenyuk playing together is a gd feast for the eyes
- Shots are even and I’m just gonna say it, this has been a bit of a snoozefest thus far but I feel like we’ve been trained that these Habs save the best for last
- I beg your pardon, 0 shots for Matthews?
- It looks like Toronto is trying really hard and like Montreal kind of thinks that’s adorable
- Carey just stopped a shot off his pad then elegantly caught the puck in his glove and it’s by far the best thing that’s happened this period
- Oooh a sneaky Jeff Petry comes so, so close
- Five and a half left in the first, pretty sure the Habs are putting one in before intermission
- Paul Bee-ron s’il vous plait
- Carey Price makes ‘big’ saves that look so pedestrian
- The other one who makes everything look easy is Weber. This is a result of always being where you’re supposed to be.
- Emelin BOOM
- Desharnais with a slick little pass to Shaw, that would have been GREAT
- I was wrong, first intermission and scoreless/
Second period:
- Hyman gets a penalty – good
- Ooof, Andersen’s going to feel that Weber shot later
- Sooo many shots, bupkes
- Hyman gets ka-blammoed by Weber. Be quiet now, Hyman./
Choo choo pic.twitter.com/F6TUegpkv0
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) October 30, 2016
- Radulov to Galchenyuk! I loooooooooooooooove you. 1-0, good guys! Good god, Radulov is a good hockey player
- I was going to say ‘silky mitts’ but I don’t think I can pull that one off But ooooooh, baby
- Can we PLEASE stop comparing Radulov to Semin?
- Nearly Lehkonen!
- 4-on-4 because Matt Martin is an a-hole
- Price with an important stop on the breakaway. I can’t tell if it was a great shot or not because Carey just always looks the same
- Does it feel to anyone else like the Habs are letting the Leafs set the pace so they can move in for the kill? I dunno. It does feel like mens against boys.
- Pausing a moment to say it is so great to see happy Bell Centre Habs fans again, like those little girls with the CH on their cheek
- Emelin has been playing great this season, you guys
- Lots of chances there to go ahead by two, but the period expires. I think we’re having more fun now!/
Third period:
- “The temptation is there for the coach to just play Weber all the time. Hard not to.” 17:58 so far for his TOI. He’s also your special teams specialist, so.
- Weber is a smart, smart player
- “Price made another save look easy again”
- Commentators are clearly not used to seeing this kind of thing
- WELCOME BACK, CAREY
- Uh oh, penalty on Radulov. Not the most blatant one in the world
- Oh crap. Crap, crap, crap. Kadri ties it
- OK. No more messing around.
- CAREY. CAREY MFING PRICE.
- That one, he made look like work. RIDONK.
- RIDONK.
- I’m gonna need a second. Thank god for the TV time out.
- Weber’s had four shots tonight
- SHEA
- WEBER
- SHEA WEBER!
- Shea Weber
- Is anybody else hugging themselves on the coach with a goofy grin on their face? Just me?
- Shea Weber’s shot is faster than instant coffee in a microwave
- EMELIN BOOM. Emelin penalty.
- So far nothing on the PP for the Leafs
- Auston Matthews has zero shots, you guys. Zero.
- Zero.
- Desharnais and Pacioretty, together again, try to do something and nearly do
- New Jersey’s beating Tampa?
- Greg Pateryn with a nice tip on a Leaf’s shot
- I really like Danault, you guys. No quit.
- Matthews got a shot!
- One of these days, the Habs will score on a breakaway
- I don’t care if it’s Halloween, people wearing dog heads is the only thing creepier than clowns
- My kingdom for a Danault goal
- Leafs are really turning it on
- A minute left, empty net, Price the save!
- That was really a lot of fun for the last 30 minutes.
- Your Habs, 8-0-1.
- Bonne nuit./
Habs Highlights of the Night
Alex Radulov finds Alex Galchenyuk for his third of the season:
Shea Weber almost murders a man
