Canadiens vs. Panthers Top Six Minutes: The dam bursts
The Montreal Canadiens found success on the powerplay, scored goals and for the first time this season, won a game in regulation time. Monkeys were shed from backs Tuesday when the Habs beat up the Panthers 5-1.
Pre-game
- NHL game number 600 for Karl Alzner. It would be fitting for him to fly under the radar and not be noticed, for all the right reasons.
- Aleksander Barkov, always dangerous, but I won’t have to wonder whether the play-by-play is calling him or Andrei Markov this time.
- Sigh...
- 3-0-1 against the cats in 2016-17, 0-4-0 the year prior. Which is it going to be this season?
- Habs are back at home - that could be just what they need, or it could make things feel infinitely worse. Roughly 60 minutes of hockey should decide things. /
First Period
- That’s not how you open a game when you’re on a seven-game losing streak, Habs.
- Price had to be sharp only seconds in to keep things tied at zip.
- Hey look, everyone, it’s James Reimer! Optimus Reim, if you will.
- That’s two big saves from Price. Panthers: 0 ; Habs: 0 ; Price: 2.
- Did Max Pacioretty just lay a massive hit? It’s like he cares, see everyone?
- The Canadiens are trying - hard. They need a goal here to fight off the monkey on their collective back, as well as a full house of restless fans.
- Problem is, passes are not connecting. Anywhere.
- Heck, at this point, I think ending the first period 0-0 could be considered a small win.
- These new forward lines are looking alright so far, every line has been noticed for good reasons.
- All players finish the frame with positive corsi, except Pacioretty-Danault-Shaw, who are matched up against the Panthers’ top line.
- We’re not losing!/
Second Period
- Just like the first period faceoff, the Panthers get a quick chance right away, but this time bury it.
- Do you want to have a quiet home arena? Because this is how you get a quiet home arena.
- The Habs did not tighten up their passing between periods.
- Icing.
- Here come the ‘boo’ birds. Ninth game of the season, only the third at home.
- The Panthers’ powerplay is one of the least dangerous-looking things I’ve seen. It’s almost cute.
- Montreal still not connecting their transition plays. Hudon shows some frustration, and so do 21k fans.
- The Canadiens’ powerplay might be less dangerous-looking than the Panthers’.
- Habs trying four forwards on the man-advantage, they’re trying anything at this point.
- It worked! Alex Galchenyuk now has half the team’s PPG this year.
- More power plays, please.
- Shea Weber does it again, the powerplay is scoring! Shea found himself on Ovie Island for the perfect one-timer.
- So is five-on-five! Gallagher makes it three goals in just 1:35 and the Canadiens have a two-goal lead!
- Second period is over and we’re still not losing!/
Third Period
- This was a far more acceptable start to a period.
- Now if only we can get a goal for Mr. Pacioretty.
- This Montreal team does not resemble the group we saw in California. Confidence is a powerful drug.
- Shea Weber fires another rocket into the twine. Everything is happening!
- Hockey is fun again!
- Seriously, Pacioretty scoring is the one feel-good thing missing from this game.
- Nevermind.
- “You get a goal. And you get a goal. EVERYBODY GETS A GOAL!”
- Lost in the chaos of goal-scoring is that Carey Price has steadily kept the door shut tonight.
- A regulation win against the Panthers shouldn’t have to feel this good, but boy does it ever feel good!
- Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em, the Canadiens have snapped the streak./
Highlight of the night
3-1 #Habs on a great effort by Brendan Gallagher pic.twitter.com/a0cFfsIJgR
— Jared Book (@jaredbook) October 25, 2017
EOTP 3 Stars
We all know who is responsible for the first regulation win of the season.