Wednesday 26 February 2014

Game Sixty: Wings vs. Habs


Overtime:

- Who cares. I'm pleased as punch we got one point out of this train wreck game.

- PK draws a hook, but ridiculously gets called for a dive. Chris Lee. All you need to know.

- Good timeout call by Therrien - keeps Markov on the ice, and Subban will be returning soon.

- Com'on PK. Here's your time.

- Ahhh never mind. Budaj gives up the perfect rebound. We'll take a point.



Third Period:

- TSN during the 2nd intermission, mentioned that the Habs are looking for defenseman at the trading deadline - sad if true considering this team traded away a perfectly capable one for a fringe 4th liner last month.

- Galchenyuk rush throws this poor paying crowd a crumb to cheer about.

- My observant son just pointed out the Wings don't have a single right handed player. He's right. Am I the only one who hasn't noticed this?

-Alfredsson shoots right, duh. Nevermind.

- Wings doing dump routine here, hoping to just kill the clock. With 10 minutes it's mildly risky, but they are playing Montreal.

- Well, if there's one guy who's gonna will one in, it'll be Gallagher.

- It's two weeks since. Has the NHL always been this boring?

- Wings clogging up neutral zone, suffocating an already offensively gasping Habs club. No contest tonight. No contest.

- Habs forwards telegraphing their shots tonight. Detriot has been blocking just about every shot that was remotely dangerous.

- Breathing sigh of relief. That I wasn't a paying customer tonight. 

- Unbelievable. Gionta backhander beats Howard who struggled to cover the loose puck. Game tied.

- Least. Deserved. Regulation. Tie. Ever. Habs didn't register a single scoring chance on Howard for the entire game - at least until the final minute. To get a point is a ridiculous victory. A second point would be preposterous.



Second Period:

- Goodness, Habs look particularly dismal - zero shots and we're almost at the eight minute mark.

- All that Olympic hockey spoiled me, what with Team Canada defenseman effectively transitioning the puck forward. Habs are truly awful at this.

- Wings aren't nearly as good as years past, but they're kicking the Habs' behinds in this 2nd period in puck possession department. Really should be up two or three. They probably will be soon enough.

- Detroit's defense and backchecking is nothing special, but the Habs just registered a very soft shot on Howard with 7:30 left. First of the period. Just abysmal.

- Puck battles are nearly 100% for Detriot. Canadiens simply not showing up to play so far.

- Not counting Gionta's shots, Habs have 4 in the game. Over 35 minutes of play. Four.

- Team Latvia would be destroying the Habs tonight. 

- Habs 5v5 Fenwick is under 27%. That's almost behind bad. Actually, it is beyond bad.

- That might have been the worst period of hockey I've ever seen this organization play without surrendering a goal. The awfulness is beyond describing. It's absurd even that the Habs only trail by one. 


First Period:

- Wasn't here, didn't watch. The stats line shows that the Habs pretty much picked up where they left off with their mediocre ways.


GAMEDAY UPDATES

- Therrien's comments this morning (re: Price injury).



A.M. PRACTICE UPDATE:


- Oh ... crap?!? Carey Price left a.m. practice early with what is reported to be an injury. Oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap.

We'll post info/updates as we receive.

PRICE UPDATE #1: Price apparently sustained the injury during a 5-0 warmup, and after taking the first shot, he immediately favored his leg (not sure if it was left or right). He left the ice, didn't return.Won't return. Therrien to provide update in a little while.

PRICE UPDATE #2: DO'H. Price apparently reaggravated an existing injury during the Olympics, but "played through it". Michel Therrien announced that he's out with a lower body injury, and that he'll miss at least the next two starts.

Dustin Tokarski has been called up from Hamilton as an emergency backup.

Oh crap.


WE'RE BAAAACK.

Seems like age infinitude since we last had one of these NHL games, doesn't it? Your truly enjoyed most of the action from Sochi, but really now, the time for over-glamorized tournaments that really don't mean a hill of beans beyond a few dozen players that get to now carry a medal around their necks, is over.

It's time to get serious again with meaningful hockey.

SO TONIGHT ... pretty compelling matchup - the Wings, who are currently clinging to the 2nd wild card playoff spot, square off against the Habs, who are currently clinging to 3rd spot in the Atlantic Division. A win for the Wings tonight would move them just 6 points back of the Habs - a win for Montreal would give the Habs another pad in their playoff spot lead.

We'll have a little preview in a bit.

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