Saturday 29 October 2011

Game Eleven: Bruins v. Habs

So here we've arrived, a claim to a "hot streak" on the line against a mightily struggling Boston team, Claude Julien has made quite a few line changes in an attempt to get the Bruins sputtering offense on track.

Price, rightfully, starts following a very good outing two nights ago. He's really looked solid since his semi-disastrous game against Tampa.

First Period:

- Transition game very strong to start, Bruins defense having trouble adapting to the attack. Eller rings one off the post from a rebound, never seen a player *just* miss so many times.

- Surprise player of the year (so far) Moen with a goal-saving backcheck.

- Gionta continues to struggle, terrible pass off the rush. Needs to do something about these unforced errors.

- Cole motoring again. What a great pickup for the offense. Really has given the team's offense another dangerous dimension.

- Beautiful rush by Patioretty, setting up Weber perfectly, his shot just wide.

- One of these years Subban is going to break through on those end-to-enders to score a goal for the ages. Might take awhile though against NHL defenders.

- Habs really have improved all-around compared to just two weeks ago. If this is the way the teams plays from here on out, I see little difficulty they making the post season.

- Rask really impressive tonight, especially coming in "cold". 9-2 shots on goal.

- Price really wiffed on the shot off the post. Horseshoe bailout.

- Plekanec from the point finally pays off. Rask never saw the puck until it was behind him in the net. Just the third time this season the Habs have scored first.

- Eller! FINALLY. Rask really should have done better, though.

- Habs ALL over Bruins right now. Julien not calling time, probably hoping to ride out the storm till the intermission.

- Through 20 shots are 12-8 Montreal. Pretty one sided, Habs firing all engines, Bruins look stunned and disorganized. Will Boston get nasty next period to reclaim some momentum?

Second Period:

- Fourth line soooooo much better since its reconstruction. Nicely sets up the other lines for their attack.

- Forwards really solid bottling up the neutral zone, stunting and frustrating the Boston transition game.

- And the Bruins' frustrations bubbling to the surface, punches flying and gloves dropped after the whistle. Trying to find a game-changer here through fisticuffs. Totally expected turn of events.

- Excellent positioning by Price on the Kelley breakaway. Bruins in tough finding the back of the net.

- Habs PP looking so much more coordinated now. Rask absolutely robbed Cole point blank.

- Habs 5-on-3 far too concerned with finding that high percentage chance. Just tee the danged shot up from 30 feet and ram in the resultant rebound. There. Done.

- Something had to give. Bruins frustrations finally leading to a 3-0 advantage. Eller wiffing at a wide open net via a perfect pass (again). Should be 4-0.

- Eller with a terrible turnover, borderline should have been a hooking call on Thornton. 3-1.

- Pushback by Bruins, trying to keep momentum going, dishing out some pretty hard hits and generating pressure.

- More poor discipline by Bruins Lucic with a silly slash. Julien is furious with the officials but really, each Boston penalty has been correctly called.

- Shots in period 12-8 again, really has been 70-30 Habs edge so far. Not sure in the game if the Habs are this good or the Bruins are that bad. Probably a bit from each column.

Third Period:

- Bruins have their first PP a minute into the third courtesy a foolish penalty by Eller. Now the Habs find themselves two short doing their best to let the Bruins back into the game.

- Gorges with a ridiculous goal saving dive across the goal line. Bruins frustration leads to another silly and undisciplined penalty. 5-3 escaped.

- Superb tic-tac-toe passing, Rask positively robbing Eller, giving his team at least a glimmer of hope. One more Habs goal and it's over.

- Habs in shut-down mode right now. Pretty much on cruise control. Can be a dangerous ploy but Boston really not posing much of a threat.

- PK with a not very smart icing there. The kid needs to think stuff through more often.

- And resultant, Bruins score. 3-2. Ut-oh.

- Plekanec shows Gionta how to properly shoot into an empty net. Habs win again.

- Big six day layoff before the Sens game. To pass time the media shall write much about Markov's pending return.

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