Thursday 27 March 2014

Game Seventy-Five: Habs vs. Wings

THIRD PERIOD:

- Wow. That's quite the stat. Detroit is -24 goal differential in the 3rd, worst in the league.

- Subban with a brain cramp clearance righty up the middle intercepted easily by Tatar. Beats Price from ideal position, and the Wings trim the lead to one. 

- Tatar again. Again a d zone turnover. Again Subban in the mix. Tie game, and Leafs fans have a meltdown.

- Pacioretty says chill out, Leafs Nation. 4-3.

- Lots of end to end here, not really the kind of game you want to play holding on to a one goal lead.

- Mike Weaver. Josh Gorges who?? If this is the real Weaver, it sets up an interesting summer as to determining whether there's a long-term place for Gorges on this team.

- Vanek, a beauty redeflect off sweet shot pass by Markov, and the Habs get their two goal lead back. Outstanding goal.

- Hold that phone. 21 seconds later, Franzen on blown coverage (Plekanec) makes it 5-4. Wild third period.

- Bouillon is a defensive disaster tonight. He needs to be pulled from this game NOW.

- Briere with a monster defensive shift. Who'd have thunkit?

- Bournival with his best shift of the night and he draws a Wings penalty. Massive given there's only 3 minutes left on the clock.

- Habs hang on for the W, and move pretty much past the clinching line. Leafs fans celebrate a Montreal victory for perhaps the first time ever. Florida Saturday to formally book a post-season ticket.



SECOND PERIOD:

- So, I'm joining in a little late tonight, I see a 2-0 score. Obviously a very impressive period for the visitors.

- Looking at first period stats and notes, looks like P.K. had as close to a monster period as is possible. Oh yeah, and Plekanec scored two. Ho hum. Seriously, nice to see Pleks hit the 20 goal mark - he's had a very underrated season. 

- Subban clearly held trying to carry the puck out of his zone creates a turnover, Shehan with a great seeing eye wrister to put the Wings on the board. Bad non-call.

- Pretty aggressive forecheck so far by Detroit in the second. They aren't messing around. Their season is on the line.

- Gallagher with transition pass to Galchenyuk. Misses by at least eight feet, results in an icing.

- Vanek had easy 4th as a Hab, except for somebody named Jimmy Howard. Vanek just needed to shoot higher. Gotta make sure about these things.

- If Bourque finished off even a fraction of the goals that were perfect setups, he'd have at least 25 this season.

- Great physical play by Vanek to take possession away deep in Wings zone, sweet feed to Desharnais who does have the ability to finish. 3-1.

- Holy cow. This Desharnais / Pacioretty / Vanek line is a well oiled machine. Brilliant zone passing, seamless and potent. Yeah. Vanek. Eight years. We need to make this happen.




GAMEDAY NOTES:

Okay, no messin' around today.

Defense practice lines this morning in Detroit:

1: Emelin/Markov
2. Bouillon/Subban
3. Tinordi/Weaver

NO MURRAY TONIGHT. Already a good start.

- ICYAWA, a Wings win tonight would be absolutely devastating to the Leafs' hopes of clawing back into the wild card race. Oh ... so torn ... so torn.

- Marc Bergevin is going on the radio in about 30 minutes (from the time of this posting). We'll be listening for anything said worthy of mentioning (likely not).

- Okay, the interview is about as lame as anticipated. So from what little Bergevin has disclosed: 1. He'd like to have Vanek back, but it's beyond his control. 2. He's concerned that somebody will offer Subban an outlandish offer sheet he can't match. 3. Therrien and his coaching staff on the job they've done - "their record speaks for itself" (UGH). 4. Subban and Therrien get along just fine. 5. Says Subban has improved this year with/because of Therrien (WTF?). 6. He wants Gionta back (good grief), and 7. Bouillon has been a "very useful" defenseman.

Well, that was discouraging. 

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