The Habs are gone, so that means the Bitter Bandwagoner Habs fan has returned. That means I’ll be writing TSMs for whichever games I happen to watch. Tonight’s matches Caps/Pens, and Beast/Monarchs!
Side note, NYR, you had one job. One. And you let Pageau run your show. How dare you.
Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins
- Wow. That was a really A+ anthem.
- BOB COLE. WE HAVE BOB COLE./
First Period
- Ooh the crankiness starts early. Settle down Kunitz, settle down.
- Hey! Hagelin is back!! Yay!!
- Seriously, how lucky are we as hockey fans to have Crosby vs Ovi called by Bob Cole.
- FLEURY STOPPED OVI FROM HIS OFFICE ON THE POWER PLAY. I feel like that warrants a big to do every time it happens. That was the most exciting thing that happened on the power play. Ho hum.
- ELLER WAS JUST ROBBED TWICE IN A ROW. Pretty excellent shift from the Eller line in general. I might have gotten a bit carried away with the caps locks there…/
- ELLER RANG THE POST. sob.
- To be fair, I’m probably grotesquely biased, but I’m pretty sure Eller’s been one of the Caps best players two games in a row.
- MAF is a BAMF.
- Seriously, this series is so good./
Second Period
- Cullen short-handed. Oh my. Shattenkirk got completely outraced by a 40-year-old…and Holtby…Holtby…
- OH MY. OVI SAYS THAT BEING DOWN THING IS SILLY. What a pass. Niskanen with a lovely shot./
- THIS SERIES IS SO FUN.
- Hahahahhaahahahahahah!! Shots are 23-6 for Washington roughly five minutes into the second. Dare I say…Washington is getting Halak’d again.
- Oh dear… Tom Wilson got plastered. That looks like it hurt. Somehow, that wasn’t a penalty either.
- I maintain that Kessel-Crosby-Malkin on the power play is simply not fair.
- Oh man. Case and point. Everyone converges on Sid, and Kessel is wide open. Holtby should probably be stopping some of these…no? Also, wow. Sid is just so good. Also…maybe Ovi should probably not just stand there and watch Kessel shoot…/
- Yes, Ovi needs to answer…but um…the fact that Holtby is not stopping anything is not in any way his fault…
- Oh my. Guentzel on the breakaway completely freezes the Holtbeast. And that all got started because Crosby blocked a shot.
- I really love Sidney Crosby./
Third Period
- Gruby starts the third. The announcers are surprised.
- Oh Shattenkirk…
- Welp.
- Gruby does not appear to be the answer the Caps needed.
- On the other hand, Phil Kessel is good. Very good.
- Imagine if Malkin wakes up tonight…
- OH MY. Ovi with the shot, Backstrom with the rebound. Boy was that beautiful./
- Have I mentioned exactly how much fun this series is?
- MALKIN! Or maybe not…
- GOOD GOAL. Poor Washington…
- Please do not break Olli Määtä…
- Uhg. Eller sets up what looks like ought to be a good offensive zone shift, and Wilson and Bonino ruin it by taking penalties.
- Soo…Pittsburgh is winning..but their players are dropping like flies…
- Woof. Empty netter.
- Boy did Fleury holding the fort early become vitally important!
- Pens win 6-2!! They’re up 2-0 in the series!/
ECHL Brampton Beast vs Manchester Monarchs
The Habs have three prospects in action in Brampton, Connor Crisp, Dalton Thrower, and, of course, Zac Fucale. After suiting up as the IceCaps’ backup yesterday, Fucale is between the pipes for the Beast.
First Period
- FUCALE, FUCALE! Regardless of how you feel about Fucale’s performance in the regular season, it is undeniable that he is CLUTCH in big games.
- Jordan Henry scores for Brampton with assists from Luke Pither and David Vallorani!!!/
CORRECTION! The Beast’s first goal has been given to Jordan Henry!
If you want another look, here it is! 🚨🙌 #BeastLive pic.twitter.com/9JfzZndfLd
— Brampton Beast (@BramptonBeast) April 30, 2017
- That makes me especially happy, as Henry was the first hockey player I ever interviewed ever, and David Vallorani used to play for the Utah Grizzlies!
- Connor Crisp continues to have a pretty good playoffs! He’s been involved early.
- Fucale definitely coming up big for the Beast. He’s 13/13 after the first period!/
Second Period
- FUCS.
- Aaaaand the Monarchs tied it up. I guess Fucale can only steal so many.
- Beast appear to be responding well. Crisp was part of a 2-on-1, and Blain had two great takeaways…
- Thrower sighting! Oh that’s not good…Manchester scores on a three-on-one…Poor Dalton. He was the only guy back.
- That was a lovely attempt by David Pacan. Unfortunately, Sam Brittain shuts the door.
- Oh Connor. That is not an ideal time to take a penalty./
Third Period
- Beast kill off the penalty, and Crisp gets a very nice chance a bit later
- DO. NOT. RUN. ZACH.
- Beast to the power play, Fucale appears to be (more or less) ok.
- What a nice save by Fucale. Getting steamrollered certainly doesn’t seem to have deterred him at all.
- Was just going to say that the Beast needed to show some more urgency, and right on cue, they upped the hustle.
- HOW DID VALLORANI NOT SCORE THERE. The net was WIDE open. Uhhhg the crossbar.
- Oh man. This is a huge power play coming up…that they don’t capitalise on…
- Fucale still holding Brampton in this.
- The sky is blue, the grass is green, and the refs call (or don’t call) things by weird standards during the playoffs.
- CONNOR CRISP ON THE SHORT-HANDED BREAKAWAY!!! And Brittain stops him.
- Empty net goal, Monarchs. Blah.
- Brampton loses 3-1. Series tied 1-1./
