3P 1:03:
If ever a goal was deserved.
Gui!
5-2Â
3P 1:17:
That does her. Tanguay hooked.
3P 1:35:
Pleks beats Richards on the draw, but they ice it
3P 2:00:
Smart play by Lang
3P 3:00:
I wouldn't start singing just yet
3P 4:00:
My mistake. AK46 isn't on the bench. I don't remember an injury
3P 4:30:
So I guess AK46 is benched
Glass break:
Eight Bell Centre employees. If it was the City of Montreal blue collars, there'd be 28. It will be interesting to see what this does to momentum. Philadelphia was coming on a bit.
3P 4:46:
This will take a while. An Asham blast shatters the end glass.
3P Break:
5:15 of smart, penalty-free hockey. Chip it, dump it and make them come 200 feet.
3P 5:26:
Good timeout, Carbo.
3P 5:35:
Komo error and it was nearly 4-3. Nothing is ever easy with this team
3P 6:32:
Oh man, off Bouillon's hand
4-2Â
3P 6:55:
I REALLY like the push-back tonight
3P 7:14:
Bégin, Pleks, Kovy
3P 8;50:
If Gui! cashes that, the joint goes berserk
3P Break:
Superb lead protection, without going into a defensive shell
3P 10:24:
The PP is cookin'!
3P 11:24:
What a set-up for Lang!
3P 12:13:
What a play! Sergei feeds Kovy and Carter has to hook him.
3P Break:
If it stays 4-1, there will be dancing ...
3P 13:00:
Gui! is having a career game
3P 15:00:
Many uncalled Philly fouls
2P 16:00:
Again, Sergei with Pleks and Kovy
2P 20:00:
Barring an early goal ...
Komo is back!:
Five blocked shots through 40 minutes.Â
Is this a good time ..:
... to point out that the Canadiens are 12-1-0-1 when leading after two periods
J.T. on the second period:
-Breeze and Bouillon on the same pairing is as scary as waking up halfway across the Atlantic to a cry of "Iceberg, dead ahead!"
-Last week, Kovalev would have hit the post on that breakaway. Now that Begin set him up with the beauty stretch pass, I'd bet my Christmas liquor that it's crossed Carbo's mind to keep them on the same line.
-Komo's got some nice suits, but the best one he owns has a CH on the front.
-Flyers' most dominating forward line so far: Upshall and Metropolit (a long-time Hab annoyer) with Asham. You had to know if there's any hint of a former Hab in the other guy's lineup, he'll come back to haunt Montreal.
-It's very kind of Jim Hughson to remind us repeatedly that the Habs have been sucking hard for the last few games. Thanks Jim! Meanwhile, I really can't stand Milbury. He's been going out of his way to call Kovalev lazy and selfish all night. Kovy's a lot of things this year, but he's not been lazy.
-Jaro's like a trundle bed...usually tucked away and makes you uncomfortable sometimes when you use it, but gets the job done. And you're usually glad you have it.
-Poor TK. Hands like flippers.
-Add forechecking to Maxim Lapierre's newly-overhauled resume.
-Great period. Someone finally found the case of Red Bull they ordered last month. Let's see if the buzz lasts another twenty minutes.
2P 00:00:
Very good 20 minutes
2P 1:00:
Gui! is playing like Guy!
2P 2:40:
Gorges gets caught and Carter wheels away. Then Halak makes a glove save. Who's on the PP here?
2P 4:30:
Kovalev and Hartnell getting feisty. And Timonen goes
Kovalev:
That was his 900th point. Note about him needing three was an error by Habs' PR
2P Break:
Markov blasts the Canadiens' 19th shot right on Whatzisname
2P 7:00:
The line-rolling is exquisite. Carbo keeps changing the rhythm, to Philadelphia's detriment
2P Break:
First star of the game won't be Jaro. He's killing snakes with a garden hoe out there.
2P 8:48:
Halak just gets a piece of Metropolit shot
2P 10:13:
Add a Komisarek assist on the Kovy goal
2P Break:
That Gui!-Tom-Max line is just on fire.
2P 11:20:
God shift by Lang line. Then great stuff from Sergei
2P 13:40:
Bégin finds Kovalev behind everyone
4-1Â
2P 14:40:
Pleks, Kovy and Sergei?
2P 15:35:
More big rebounds off Jaro
2P 16:18:
Mike Richards: Deadly.
2P 17:14:
The new Lapierre line looks great
2P 17:49:
Sergei gives Timonen an extra shove and a scrum ensues
2P 18:36:
D'Ag dings the post. I love this kid.
2P 19:45:
Gui! a good chance right off the jump
2P 20:00:
Anyone think this lead is safe?
If Philadelphia gets the next goal ...:
... look out.
J.T. on the first period:
-Kovalev must be in Koivu's will. He inherits everything the captain's got: the C, the unfortunate o-zone penalties...if only he picked up the up-the-middle style too.
-Lapierre not only studied the sweet science last summer, I think he learned The Hustle too. Oh, and how to pass. What a beauty to D'Ags.
-When Laraque hits someone on the boards, it sounds like a stapler.
-SEE, Lats? See what happens when you put yourself in front of the net? Geez, I wonder if Laraque can staple him there? And the PP sucks in a shuddering breath of life.
-The reconstituted Pleks line looked kind of decent.
-CBC is wondering why the Habs look so much better tonight than they did in their last few games. It's because the Habs actually hate these guys. It makes a big difference.
-I hope Jaro can finish his sacrifice to the post gods before the intermission ends.
-D'Agostini likes the finer things in life: charter flights, the Brossard training centre, Montreal nightlife. I hope he doesn't let off the gas once he knows he's staying.
-Anyone want to bet this one'd be tied if Umberger wasn't in Columbus?
Scottie Upshall:
Led both teams with four hits. I think they all came on one shift, preceding the D'Agostini goal.
1P 00:24:
Little things: D'Ag does a great job bottling up Gagné in the Flyers' end.
1P 1:12:
Two good energy lines tonight.
1P 2:00:
Pleks line a bit scrambly
1P 4:08:
How does Arron Asham get that open?
3-1Â
1P 4:08:
That was very nearly Carter's 23rd. Halak had no idea where the puck was.
1P 4:34:
Throw it toward the net and good things happen
Steve Bégin redirects a Tom the Bomb shot
3-0
Goon time soonÂ
1P Break:
This is the most dangerous the PP has looked in a LOOOOOONG time.
1P 5:17:
First wave of PP is dangerous. Second wave isn't
1P 7:17:
The speed is killing them. Another penalty.
Roger Doucet:
Featured every Thursday in December as a centennial salute.
1P Break:
Shots are 8-4. Canadiens are skating them into the ice and exposing a slow Philadelphia D
1P 9:27:
Gorges might be the answer at the right point. And Gui! set up in front on second wave. Then Sergei wires one.
2-0Â
1P Break:
Another PP off good hustle. Upshall and Asham are trying to runthe Canadiens D. There will have to be pushback
1P 14:00:
The Kid is here to stay!
D'Agostini
1-0Â
1P 14:30:
Great PP ... until Kovy dumps Hartnell (embellished)
1P 15:56:
D'Agostini produces first PP
1P 16:30:
Nice. Tanguay nearly cashes a D'Aagstini rebound.
1P 17:16:
Richards picks Laraque's pocket and Markov has to ice it.
1P 18:19:
Good shift for reconstituted Pleks line, but then Philly gets a shot
1P 19:26:
D'Agostini shows some hustle
1P 20:00:
I don't feel good about this game
Dead man singing:
Again, Roger Doucet doing anthems. Charles Preevost Linton must have asked for a raise.
Starters:
Tanguay, Lang, D'Agostini, hamrlik and Gorges against Mike Richards, Mike Knuble, Simon Gagné, Ossi Vaananen and Kimo Timonen. Antero Niittymaki in nets. May I just point out, with no disrespect to Saku Koivu's great homeland, that live bloggers hate Finnish family names.
Statement game:
For both teams.
Fearless prediction:
Loudest boos of the season: Feb. 24. Vancouver at the Bell Centre. And they won't be for Alexander Burrowes
Milestone:
Alex Kovalev needs three points to reach 900 in his career.
Curious stats:
Philadelphia has two players in double-digit plus: Simon Gagné at 20, Mike Richards at 16. Canadiens have three: Josh Gorges at plus-12, Saku Koivu at plus-11 and Robert Lang at plus-10. And Canadiens are third in the league with 785 hits, while the Flyers are 19th with 576.
If I were a bookmaker:
Canadiens would be a two-puck 'dog tonight.
Danny Brière:
McGuire says Philadelphia is loaded at forward and should move the contract to open up cap space and add a component that will win them the East.
Pierre McGuire's prediction:
Scott Hartnell will go right after Komisarek. "This guy is demented ... in a good way," McGuire says of Hartnell.Â
Flyers' PP:
One of the league's best, at 27 per cent. That's the percent off 11 opportunities Carolina cashed Tuesday night
Sundin:
Know what? Bleep him and everyone who looks like him. Funny we don't hear much about Sundin's firm conviction that a player should be with a team from training camp onward, which was one of the main reasons he refused to waive his no-trade and become a rental in February, a deal that would have hugely benefited the team to which he professed loyalty. Total hypocrite.
Shorthanded goals:
Flyers lead the league with 12. Simon Gagné has four.
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