A point salvaged

posted by Mike Boone at 15h37 EST on Mar 18


Not the best game of Jaroslav Halak's career.

Not that he got much support. Frustrated for 40 minutes by the master game-planner, St. Louis coach Andy Murray, Canadiens came alive with a 13-4 shot barrage and the only goal of the third period.

But Mannny Lagace stopped Saku Koivu. Andrei Kostitsyn and Alex Kovalev in a shootout and Brad Boyes, who had scored St. Louis's third goal, beat Halak to give the team with 69 points a well-earned win over the team with 89 points.

"It's pretty disappointing," said Christopher Higgins, who had a goal and an assist. "These are games where you're supposed to get the two points.

"You look at the standings, those guys are struggling. But they're not going to just give us the game. They have a little more pride than that."

Playing for pride, St. Louis outhit Canadiens 25-21 and had 32 blocked shots to 14 for the home team. Murray devised a scheme that had his team continually frustrating the Canadiens' passing game through the first 40 minutes.

Higgins thought Canadiens were trying to be too fancy. Drop passes, criss-crossing at the blueline: fan-pleasing hockey ... when it works.

Asked what the team could take away from the game, Saku Koivu said "we can take the point."

"We didn't play for 60 minutes," the captain added. "It wasn't a consistent three periods tonight. And they came out hard."

"They showed up tonight and wanted to win," Higggins said. "They've got guys who want to prove themselves."

It's a cliché, but on any given night ... 

"You don't know which team you're going to play against," Higgins said. "Guys who throw their sticks out there and wait for the end of the season or guys who play like they did tonight."

 

 

 

 


OT 00:25:

Not a great time for icing

OT 1:13:

Kovu backcheck saves a goal

OT 4:00:

Andrei K and Grabovski

OT 4:35:

Breeze out  in 4-on-4

3P 00:00:

OT ... first since that crazy Rangers game a month ago

3P 1:00:

O-zone faceoff. Tom the Bomb stayed on for eternity leading up to it.

3P 2:00:

Odd man rushes, in a tie game

3P Break:

Shots are 23-23. Strange game. Frustrating for a lot of the Canadiens ... and the fans.

3P :

Good Markov blast  on first wave. Second wave did nothing

3P 6:20:

More hustle from Hell's Bels. And a PP

3P 7:40:

Blues are playing for one point.

3P 8:34:

koivu, Higgins and Ryder

3P 9:40:

Great backcheck by Higgins. Then pressure by Sergei and Grabovski, who have a lot of late-game jump

3P 10:40:

Erik Johnson wiped out Andrei on the boards. He's going to be good for a long time.

3P 12:43:

Sergei is the best passer on the team. They have to turn him into a centre.

3P Break:

Halak has to bring the A-gamme, and maybe they'll steall this mess.

3P 13:24:

MIKHAIL GRABOVSKI!

3-3

Love the Belarussian Leap! 

3P 14:40:

Sreit is not having a great PP night.

3P 15:46:

16 SoG? At home? Pathetic

3P 15:53:

The only decent 5-on-5 line: Pleks. And now a PP.

3P 17:30:

Grabovksi has been a total non-factor, which has hurt Sergei and Higgins

3P 18:40:

Blues will forecheck one and turn the neutral zone into a traffic jam.

3P 19:55:

Smo line?

3P 20:00:

No physical spark. This is the kind of game in which Steve Bégin and/or Max Lapierre would have woken the guys up.

Between periods:

Was a letdown inevitable? St. Louis has a 20-14 edge in hits, 16-9 in blocked shots. If there were a stat for blocked passes, it would be about 40-3. Take away the PPs and the Canadiens have done nothing with the puck all night.

2P 00:00:

Sergei, Higgins and Koivu on first wave. Then Kovalev misses a tap-in

2P 1:58:

Komisarek nearly caught on a pinch. Bcomes a PP

2P 2:50:

Shots are 21-13. 5-on-5 Canadiens are sleepwalking

2P 4:03:

A 37-goal scorer left all alone on the lip of the crease.

Brad BBoyes makes it 3-2 

2P 4:45:

Halak goes for a stroll and it nearly costs him.

2P Break:

Game has opened up a little. Too close for comfort.

2P 6:30:

First wave doesn't do much. Good passing bby second wave, then a Grabovski third wave.

2P 9:41:

CA-REY!

Andy McDonald ties it

2-2

Terrible goal. 

2P 9:41:

CA-REY!

Andy McDonald ties it

2-2

Terrible goal. 

2P 10:28:

One good shot through a screen during first wave. Ryder on second wave. Then superb control by the second wave, ending with a Koivu tap in off a Higgins dribbler

2-1 

2P Break:

St. Louis is playing the perfect road game.

2P 13:00:

Blues are playing like they're the ones challenging for first place

2P 14:31:

Ryder is playing his best hockey of the season. Good time for it.

2P 15:00:

Shots through 25 minutes: 13-8. Not exactly scintillating hockey

2P 16:40:

TThey've given Grabovski ann asssist. And Halak stoned David Perron in alone.

2P 18:00:

First wave got one Kovy shot that Lagace saw all the way. Lots of nice passes, though

2P 20:00:

Canaddiens pprobably  realize by now that this is going to be a game. There were some nice shifts toward the end of the first period. The huge St. Louis D has problems with Canadiens speed.

Between periods:

11 Blues have produced their 11 shots. Four Canadiens account for six ... Nine Blues have produced 15 hits, five Canadiens eight ... Blues have blocked 14 shots, Canadiens four. Very lucky to be tied here.

1P 00:00:

Nice 30-second PP.

1P 00:32:

First PP, off good hustle by Pleks line.

1P 1:30:

Good hitting by Gui! and Ryder

1P 2:40:

Good PK, but St. Louis had chances

1P 4:19:

Canadiens have taken twice as many penalties than they did all game against the Islanders

1P Break:

Quite a sequence. Extended magic by Pleks line ends in a St. Louis 3-on-1. Then Higgins narrowly misses a feed from Grabovski. And finally, Komisarek takes a penalty.

1P 6:30:

Shots are 8-3

1P Break:

Terrific work on that goal. This should wake the boys up.

1P 8:32:

Good mmucking, digging, dirty hockey pays off. Sergei wins a battle behind th net and feeds Higgins

 

1-1 

1P 10;00:

Period's half over, Canadiens have two shots

1P 11:20:

I want Steve Bégin back in the lineup

2P Break:

Blues showing Canadiens no respect. Big hits. Shoves after whistle.

1P 13:00:

Shots are 4-1. Hits mmust be 10-2

1P 14:28:

Offsetting minors to Backes and Markov for diving.

1P 15:09:

No shutout.  Erik Johnson smokes one to Halak's glove side.

1-0 

1P 16:17:

Now Plekanec off. This game is  not starting well

1P 16:46:

Ryder scores while Koivu is being called for O-zone interference onn Erik Johnson

1P 17:18:

First non-call: Sergei hauled down a rush.

1P 18:30:

Brewer, Johnson, Jackman ... Blues have a lot of Komisareks on D

1P 19:25:

Hak forced into a leg save on Stempniak. Blues come out beltin'

1P 20:00:

I have a funny feeling about this game.

No Rosie, no goon:

Martin Rucinsky and Cam Janssens are St. Louis scratches

Eerily subdued:

I's early yet, but there's no buzz in the building. It's late in the season for an inter-conference game.

How much was the tip?:

Journal du Montréal reports the Blues spent $39,000 at their rookie dinner Sunday night. Went to Rosalie, a place on Mountain St. a couple blocks up from the Bell Centre.

John Stevens:

Probably fired if the Flyers don't win tonight, says Pierre McGuire on today's Melnick show. He also thinks the Canadiens are the playoff team that would most benefit from home-ice advantage.

David Perron:

The homeboy Canadiens passed up in the draft – he went 26th to St. Louis, three spots after Max Pacioretty – has 11 goals, 11 assists and is plus-13 on a bad team. The rap on perron in St. Louis is attitude. He has the rep of being arrogant.

Trap game:

In the words of that great old hockley copach, Bob Dylan, when you ain't got nuthin', you got nuthin' to lose. The Blues have pretty much locked up their spot in the Steven Stamkos lottery, so they'll be playing stress-free tonight. Andy Murray, who used to work for the Cannadiens, will have his guys ready to play an A-game. Key for Canadiens is getting on top early and not giving St. Louis a chance to think they might fluke one off here.

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Norm0770's picture
Submitted by Norm0770 on Wed, 03/19/2008 - 06:51.
The power play hasn't been as good lately and I think I know why...The Pleks line draws penalties with good puck control and then goes to the bench. Markov and Streit then go out on the first wave with Koivu and we end up missing the Markov-Kovy magic that we have seen all season.

m00ks's picture
Submitted by m00ks on Wed, 03/19/2008 - 00:52.
Came back from the Bell center, here are my takes: -St Louis played great defensively. Blocked shots, key defensive tips, clogged the shooting and passing lanes. Also great positioning against our PP. -Grabovski had a very solid game, those who say otherwise are just hating. Created chances, scored, assisted, drew penalties. In the top 5 players dressed tonight, I was extremely surprised he didn't get a star. Great game from Gorges, Higgins and S.Kost. That third line is working wonders. -Smolinski didn't have a TERRIBLE game, just had a brain cramp that lead to the first goal. Brisebois was tolerable and Halak was ok. -Pleks prolly had one of his worst games he was pressured plenty and rushed his plays same with A.Kost. who could have used more patience with the puck instead of wiring low percentage shots. Kovalev tried to carry the line by himself but obviously, that wasn't going anywhere.That line was pretty well checked, some chances but pretty sloppy. The execution was simply not there for them. This game was pretty much ours to lose. Even with the mediocre first two periods. First goal was on a 5-3, Halak should have stopped the second and the third was a blown coverage by Koivu. Our speed was killer and it was only neutralized by their hard wok on our end early on. We were visibly the better team, St Louis just capitalized on the chances they had. There weren't that many. On against Boston with 90 points. We're still golden just need a better work rate. Now worries.

The Teacher's picture
Submitted by The Teacher on Wed, 03/19/2008 - 00:58.
Great insight. Agree with all of your points except Grabs needs to know better than to take a 2 minute shift in OT. Completely agree with Pleky. He is playing scared. "Are the Habs ready to pay the Price?" "Halak Price! Do you?"

m00ks's picture
Submitted by m00ks on Wed, 03/19/2008 - 01:19.
You know I noticed that shift was crazy long but I remember him being on the left side and I think it was Kovalev who came up with the puck on the right near the St. Louis bench. Normally, coaches don't mind you extending your shift if theres a good zone entry opportunity and there was. The thing is that they worked pretty hard in the zone and kept a sustained pressure that pretty much prevented Grabs from skating back to the bench. Long shift but not on purpose.

RiverviewCanadien's picture
Submitted by RiverviewCanadien on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:58.
Some people here need to relax, I am upset as well, but no matter what happens after Thursday, we will still be #1 in the NE. My thoughts, the boys will bounce back and here is why; Price is in nets next game and will be hungry to play (and hungry to win), Grabs will eat more and get bigger (he looked tougher tonight from some reason), the rest of the guys will look at this game and realize the mistakes and erase them (looked like they were "experimenting" on the ice, I think Carbo has some tricks still up his sleeve). Lapierre should be a given to come back and Tom K should be sitting. As far as Begin, he will be back once he is 110% and Smolinski will take a break. Brisebois did not play bad tonight, but I think O'Byrne will be back within the next 2 games.

Submitted by 1010 on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 23:06.
You're probably right RiverviewCanadien, but I'm a little concerned. The boys have played four good hockey teams this month and they've lost to three of them. Thanks to some beneficial scheduling they've kept pace by beating most of their weaker opponents. That is untill tonight. The rest of the week should be interesting because they need to step it up. GO HABS.

RiverviewCanadien's picture
Submitted by RiverviewCanadien on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 23:15.
Don't be concerned, they are a very healthy team that is saving energy for the awesome playoff run. Very smart team the HABS are. Just watch the BRILLIANT hockey to come!!! GO HABS GO!!!

Submitted by 9410 on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 23:05.
I agree, nice to a see someone looking at the many positives that the Habs have given us this year.

Submitted by roadrunner on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:56.
lets hope the blues can take tonights game plan into Ottawa on thursday

yukonhab's picture
Submitted by yukonhab on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:54.
Goodpoint about the Blues momentum builder for Ottawa RS......

yukonhab's picture
Submitted by yukonhab on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:52.
Not the best game, but there were some pluses- Higgins being one of them, Ryder looked good also. Kovalev line has somewhat falling out of the dominant game that brought the Habs this far this season. Please no more of the Brisbois experiment.Should have given Grabs the chance in the shootout. Oh well nuff of the b*tchin, bring on the Bruins.... Car-ey Car-ey Car-ey GO HABS GO!!!!

Moey's picture
Submitted by Moey on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:48.
My insight...God help us all...we've seen them play some brilliant hockey this season, we know their capable of it. My take is right now, Carbo isn't pushing them to win at all costs, we can't risk any injuries to key players at this point, Komi has not been hitting, Kovi seems a bit off, I think the general message is, do your best we'll get the last few points we need to secure our spot. I'm convinced they'll bring it on for the playoffs, and I'm not concerned about the skill level of their opponents, you can't measure heart on paper.

Jamie's picture
Submitted by Jamie on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 23:02.
I kind of feel the same way, I was thinking that tonight as I watched the game that some guys just aren't pushing. In some ways I don't blame them, it's a long season, and saving it for the playoffs is fine for me, if that's what they are doing! Either way, I'm glad we are in the playoffs where we belong - this team is fun to watch most nights, and however far they go in the playoffs I think they will work hard. By the way what's with the horse face?

Moey's picture
Submitted by Moey on Wed, 03/19/2008 - 06:08.
He's better looking than I am :)

Ed's picture
Submitted by Ed on Wed, 03/19/2008 - 09:12.
I like your sense of humour. I hope Jamie sees your response. He is a fine looking horse, & I bet he looks better than most of us. Also, he probably has more sense than most of us, & does not get too high or low when the Canadiens win or lose. Also, a horse has too much sense to jump off a moving bandwagon.

Submitted by RS on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:45.
Hopefully this gives the Blues some momentum going into their next game...against Ottawa.

Submitted by 9410 on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:52.
I hope so, but what really scares me, is that Murray has his boys turned around and they seem to be ready for a good run. The next two weeks are going be great hockey, because I think Carbo is tearing them a new one right now, and I think he's gonna make them bring it from here on out. He has the right to be pissed, and he has the depth to sit players to send a message, thats what he did with Lapierre and I think also with O'byrne, despite the fact that Purses was doing fine. I think he wants more than fine at this point; he wants to see excellent, but more than that, he wants to see hungry. The next two weeks are going to be gut check time, and im confident that our boys have the heart.

Submitted by Timo (not verified) on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:53.
Which Murray?

The Teacher's picture
Submitted by The Teacher on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:54.
Brian I'm assuming. "Are the Habs ready to pay the Price?" "Halak Price! Do you?"

Submitted by 9410 on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:45.
I'm really surprised at how fair whethered every body is being, when we came back against the Rangers, half of the posters on this site were ready to just give them the Cup. Now everybody is acting like were gonna miss the postseason, I don't get it. Yes we sucked it up tonight, yes we mailed it in, but am i the only one who's still damn happy to have his team fighting for the lead in the East? I've never been so thrilled about the Habs, im on this site, hockeysfuture.com, hockeydb.com, and the Habs site for most of the day when I should be working. I'm just enjoying the fact that we finally have a good team, and i'm not gonna be one of those fair weathered, bandwagon fans who are ready to kill the players for sucking for one game. They should have played better, the did not want it and they did not win, and yeah it sucks, but it's still the best time to be HABS fan than it has been in years, and I'll be dammed if I won't enjoy it. On to Boston, where it counts for much more than tonight did.

dysonsphere's picture
Submitted by dysonsphere on Wed, 03/19/2008 - 07:17.
Amen 9410. This team is doing just great. The way they pass and criss-cross , showing off skill and team-work. I can't remember the Habs being this fun to watch, it was a while ago but I don't think the '93 team was this exciting during the regular season. The quality of play in the NHL is so tight these days, even though the Blues do not have our talent they can still pull off a win if they give a bit more effort and get some good bounces. And, hey it took them to the shoot-out to beat us. No need to panic or jump ship. Let's just enjoy this very entertaining and promising team.

frank81's picture
Submitted by frank81 on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:58.
Thank you for posting this! Some of the comments posted in the main thread are embarrassing. It's nice to know that the entire site isn't populated by those types of fans.

The Teacher's picture
Submitted by The Teacher on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:41.
I hope the shocks still aren't on back order ..... "Are the Habs ready to pay the Price?" "Halak Price! Do you?"

Submitted by Wencz on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:41.
AK46 was sh*t tonight. Not sure why they went with him in the SO. Kovy was also off his game, trying to be too cute at times I think. Overall, we just didn't bring much hustle or aggression tonight. Mark my words. This team is talented enough to win the Eastern Conference if it plays hard and gritty. Otherwise...

Exit716's picture
Submitted by Exit716 on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:36.
Memo to GEG...Foster,,,George,,,fix the ice soon please? This is Montreal, not Tampa.

Submitted by 9410 on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:37.
You noticed that too huh? they need to stop trying to turn the Bell Centre into the worlds most lucrative prostitute.

Submitted by MannyP on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:48.
ahahaha

howtathor's picture
Submitted by howtathor on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:35.
With a team like St. Louis who has been on the road forever, we had to establish our dominance early. The opposite occurred and they almost checked us right out of the rink in the first. We're lucky to get a point, not getting two is unacceptable.

SkyKing's picture
Submitted by SkyKing on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:31.
points are points ESPECIALLY now....how can you be so cavaliere 9410?

Submitted by 9410 on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:34.
Um I dunno, because we did not lose in the standings, played a half-assed game and got a point, and oh yeah, its just one game, relax. I'm pissed we lost but unlike everyone else i'm willing to be optimistic, stop acting like this is the end of the world, and as you said; points are points and we stole one in a game we were outclassed in.

Submitted by 1010 on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:31.
Trying to grab two points with as little an effort as possible. It worked against Pheonix, LA and the Isles but tonight it backfired. To be in a position to put yourself within a couple of points of a playoff spot, against a team on a ten game losing streak, and show that kind of effort is just wrong. When it's that close you have to grab it. GO HABS.

tony d's picture
Submitted by tony d on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:30.
for those of you who predicted this game would be a walk in the park for the Habs , I hope you're eating your words....there's no such thing as an easy game for our boys, especially when they put very little effort in... Guy looked pissed and rightfully so... I hate when they bring their C or D game when they're up against less skilled teams... can never figure that one out... St. Louis hustled, and showed that they were the better team tonight...they deserved the win

RiverviewCanadien's picture
Submitted by RiverviewCanadien on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:32.
yup

SkyKing's picture
Submitted by SkyKing on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:29.
chips will not see the light unless we have major injuries....he is a sure thing for nest year

Submitted by 9410 on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:32.
I'm not so sure about that, he always plays well in pressure situations and was a huge reason for the Calder win last year. I'm not gonna be surprised if he's on our roster come April, especially with Begin being uncertain and Smokes being.... well... old, and not so useful.

Submitted by 9410 on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:28.
People seem to forget that despite being a good team, this is a young team, and a hallmark of youth is inconsistency, yes we have not been at our best in the last 5 games, we still win, and sometimes shut the other team out. Were in the best place we've been in 15 years and people still seem to die a little after each loss. Games against the west at this stage in the season are pointless, and its not surprising to see them flat for the start. Were gonna be just fine, and do well in the playoffs, I'm sure of it.

SkyKing's picture
Submitted by SkyKing on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:28.
we did not get better that game....'cept for perhaps the "grabs"...he is looking better and better

Submitted by Timo (not verified) on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:36.
Grabs was working hard and flying at times tonight, but man, is he ever easy to knock down. Overall though, he needs to keep it up and goals will continue.

nick's picture
Submitted by nick on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:27.
Anyone think we'll see Chips back this season?

Submitted by roadrunner on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:27.
We're still learning,we're getting better every game.

MPWRD42's picture
Submitted by MPWRD42 on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:26.
On the upside we gained 1 point on the Penguins and the Flyers won which puts the Laffs even closer to the brink (now, if they can only hold on just a little until we play them and finally put them out of their misery to return the favour).

Joe Habsfan's picture
Submitted by Joe Habsfan on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:26.
Sometimes I just don't understand Carbo's tactics...O'Byrne needs to be playing and gaining experience because his big body will be a necessity throughout the playoffs and in my opinion MaxLap has been the reason for several of our wins over the last month or two

Submitted by 9410 on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:37.
I think he's being fair. Brisebois went through the injury and worked his but to get back in the lineup and he's throwing him a few games, also I think he might be doing because he wants to make O'Byrne hungry, by putting him on the bench, he wants the kid to get pissed and start hitting.

SkyKing's picture
Submitted by SkyKing on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:25.
cannot pin the blame on the breezer here...sorry

Joe Habsfan's picture
Submitted by Joe Habsfan on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:28.
no you can't for this but he is a better cheerleader than a player and therefore should be in the pressbox jumping up and down when we win like a 40 year old virgin!

nick's picture
Submitted by nick on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:29.
Should make him the official Habs media rep haha.

Submitted by Timo (not verified) on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:34.
He could be the Yuppie in case the other gets sick or goes on vacation. But actually, aside from one crappy pass he was pretty invisible today. Quite an improvement all things considered.

Submitted by the_vipah on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:27.
Nope Breezer was invisible and thats exactly what he needs to be.

Submitted by Timo (not verified) on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:24.
I hope that the only positive thing to come out of this game that it will be brisbois' last. Gee, let me see what will happen now: OB will be back in the lineup, so will Price and Lapierre. Habs will squeeze past bruins and the following game will forget to showup again for the first 40 minutes, lose the game, carbo will put brisbois back and the circle will continue. Something needs to change to make this team play with hunger and desire, otherwise it's 4 straight and you're golfing, fellas.

The Teacher's picture
Submitted by The Teacher on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:28.
I saw a lot of good things tonight. Mainly in the 3rd. Relax Timo, sheesh it's 82 games long. "Are the Habs ready to pay the Price?" "Halak Price! Do you?"

Submitted by Timo (not verified) on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:31.
I am relaxed... just contemplate things... thinking would could have been :) It's all you guys who get hellbent out of shape over what I say. Really amusing.

The Teacher's picture
Submitted by The Teacher on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:33.
Doesn't sound like you were contemplating lol. We could have won 82 games! We lost in a farcical shootout, that is what is disrespectful IMO, the NHL's way of deciding games. "Are the Habs ready to pay the Price?" "Halak Price! Do you?"

Submitted by Timo (not verified) on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:38.
I can write a 2 page list about areas where NHL can improve. But what's the point... not like anybody asks our opinion. Are you saying we couldn't have won 82 games? :)

The Teacher's picture
Submitted by The Teacher on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:40.
If our dynasty teams couldn't......... "Are the Habs ready to pay the Price?" "Halak Price! Do you?"

Submitted by 9410 on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:26.
SECOND IN THE EAST, FIRST IN THE NE, IT"S ONE GAME WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU GUYS.

RiverviewCanadien's picture
Submitted by RiverviewCanadien on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:31.
I know, it was not the last game of the season for the HABS... But it was a poor showing by the WHOLE FREAKIN' TEAM! they gotta show up, to put up

TripleX's picture
Submitted by TripleX on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:43.
Agreed. Only one game? Well in the playoffs that kind of attitude will have you going home after four. I am getting tired of "oh give them a break they are young", young or not you have to learn from past experience. This Habs team seems to repeat the same mistakes over and over. In this NHL you cannot take any team lightly, you have to play with intensity EVERY GAME AND EVERY SHIFT. Look, every team loses but it is how you lose that is important. Good teams get beat they do not give games away.

Submitted by 9410 on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 23:01.
First off, you can't say young and past experience in the same sentence and hope they counter balance, there is no young team with past experience, and the team has been put together only recently, so there is no "they have consistently done....". I know they mailed it in, and I know they need to step up in order to do well in the playoffs read my post on killer instinct, I said that they needed to fight for every point. But I'm so sick and damn tired of everybody getting so pissed about each game. I love hockey as much you guys do, but theres to be a point were we can be confident in this team, and not lose hope after each game. It's a long season and yes, this is not the time to have a bump in the road, but If it happens then so-god-damn well be it. They know what they need to do, and they will do better next game, because they have been damn consistent this season and have always responded well when they screw up.

Joe Habsfan's picture
Submitted by Joe Habsfan on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:29.
one game against a sh*t team...

Submitted by 9410 on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 23:09.
No different than shutting out a great team like New Jersey, and hitting up Brodeur for 4 goals, or coming back from 5-0 nothing against a team with good goaltending and good character like the Rangers, what matters over the 82 game course of a season is not individual games themselves, win/lose, what happens happens, they need to move on and play better, which they have done more often than not. What matters is how the play over the course of the season, which judging by our standing is pretty damn good.

SkyKing's picture
Submitted by SkyKing on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:23.
roadrunner....we will not be playing the likes of St. Louis in the playoffs

Submitted by roadrunner on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:38.
I hear ya...We'll be a better team in the playoffs because of games like tonights. Got one and almost two points from a subpar performance.

Y's picture
Submitted by Y on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:23.
Oh well, at least we got the point, puttersburgh lost and the extra point goes to some team in the west. All in all, not too bad considering the lackadaisical game that they played for most of the match.

Submitted by roadrunner on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:22.
No shootouts in the playoffs...real hockey

The Teacher's picture
Submitted by The Teacher on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:24.
Thank God! "Are the Habs ready to pay the Price?" "Halak Price! Do you?"

Submitted by 9410 on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:22.
I think Habs fans are far too mercurial, yeah we lost, yeah we did not play great, but they are a good team who manages to win even when not playing there best. I think we need to take a breath and not worry. Were still a damn good team.

Submitted by MannyP on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:23.
Right on.

SkyKing's picture
Submitted by SkyKing on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:22.
quite simply the effort wasn't there...St. Louis had nothing to lose and free wheeling....surprise surprise?!?.....NOT a good indication of things to come *hoping I am wrong*

Submitted by MannyP on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:23.
They were playing the freaking Blues. Come on. Give them a break. They've got other fish to fry.

Exit716's picture
Submitted by Exit716 on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:21.
Should have used the other Kostitsyn in the shootout.

Joe Habsfan's picture
Submitted by Joe Habsfan on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:21.
Halak looked stunned from the second period on

Propwash's picture
Submitted by Propwash on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:20.
Well, that was anti-climatic Oh well, lets hope we beat Boston like they owe us money

Joe Habsfan's picture
Submitted by Joe Habsfan on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:20.
Grabs should have been rewarded with a chance in the shootout

Submitted by MannyP on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:22.
The shootout privileges are not for a green rookie, who made a stupid mistake last week, with his whining. Not Carbo's way of doing things.

The Teacher's picture
Submitted by The Teacher on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:21.
You don't reward a guy who pulled a 2 minute long shift in OT when he had multiple chances to get off the ice. "Are the Habs ready to pay the Price?" "Halak Price! Do you?"

TripleX's picture
Submitted by TripleX on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:37.
Oh please! I guess you must teach grade school. This is the NHL buddy, and a good coach knows who is on his game and who is not. Grabs was hungry for the puck all night, he should have been on the shootout. Andre was fighting the puck all night although he did make some nice passes. Higgy was also on his game and might have been a good choice for the shootout. The point is to win games not punish players who want to play.

The Teacher's picture
Submitted by The Teacher on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:39.
You obviously don't know much about hockey either ;) "Are the Habs ready to pay the Price?" "Halak Price! Do you?"

MPWRD42's picture
Submitted by MPWRD42 on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:29.
It's this kind of shelfishness that will land him overseas next year. I don't expect to see him on the team beyond the regular season or next year.

Submitted by MannyP on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:24.
Yeah, that was an odd shift. 2 freaking minutes! Get on the bench, brother.

RiverviewCanadien's picture
Submitted by RiverviewCanadien on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:20.
Well, good to see that some young guys are trying and playing, but not a very good game. Halak could have been better, the D could have been alot better, many things could have been better...1 point. At least 1st in the division is ours for another few days... Lets hope the Blues win again against OTT.

Submitted by MannyP on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:19.
Not Kostitsyn on the shootout! He's not playing with confidence, right now! Safe move on the breakaway. Predictable. Not going with Grabovski in your top 3 is understandable, but he could've tried something with Kostopoulos, perhaps. He's found himself some new offensive skills, lately! Anyway.

nick's picture
Submitted by nick on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:26.
Should have gone with S. Kostitsyn.

Submitted by ebk on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:25.
Kostopoulos in the shoot out, that is the funniest thing I have heard on this site ever!

RiverviewCanadien's picture
Submitted by RiverviewCanadien on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:21.
I think it should have been Higgins or Ryder, give these guys a chance, AK46 should have been on the bench, not the 2nd shooter.

Jamie's picture
Submitted by Jamie on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:18.
I hope they're mad at themselves. These games happen but they can't become habit. in my mind this is the third game in a row they have played this calibre of hockey.

Submitted by MannyP on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:21.
They didn't look too mad. They seem to have this arrogant demeanor in their step. Which is fine, I guess. But come on! A little more gusto! Time for Lapierre back in the lineup. Streit is heading for the bleachers. But that's just my impression.

P St. Pierre's picture
Submitted by P St. Pierre on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:18.
Crappy game. Hopefully this awakens the team a bit and they get back to playing better hockey.

Submitted by Timo (not verified) on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:22.
Gets a little repetitive, isn't it and must lose its appeal. Perhaps they should getting awake just because... you know, I have that novel idea that perhaps they need to play full 60 minutes. I agree with you, game was crap.

nick's picture
Submitted by nick on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:18.
Not a strong showing for Halak tonight.

Submitted by Timo (not verified) on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 22:17.
What a waste of a game. There is no excuse to lose a team like the blues. Pathetic and once again, disrespecful. Didn't start playing until the third. This team just enrages me so much... haven't played better than .500 hockey in a long time. Argh, nothing to say... waste of time, waste of energy and little less respect for them.

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