After the game:
The Koivu line ends the game minus-3. Not a great game. The captain playted his heart out, as usual. Christopher Higgins let Chris Neil get behind him on the winning goal but was otherwise excellent.
Michael Ryder? Theproblems persist. I wonder of Carbo will make a move there for the Toronto game.
Here's a wild idea: Mathieu Dandenault RW on the top line.
3P 00:26:
Hmmmm, I wonder who the first star will be
Alfredsson empty-netter
3-1
3P 1:06:
Time out. Faceoff in Ottawa territory. Huet out. Shots are 36-29 ... very indicative.
3P 3:30:
As they just said on RDS, this team doesn't have 13 wins for nothing.
Chris Neil surprises Huet and it's 2-1.
3P 4:00:
Canadiens skating in quicksand and Alfredsson flying.
3P 5:00:
I'll be overjoyed if Canadiens salvage a point out of this. The third period has been all Ottawa.
3P 5:10:
That was inevitable. Ottawa kept coming and coming. Alfredsson kills Canadiens ... again.
1-1
3P 7:00:
Will Carbo sits Ryder and Grabovski with the one-goal lead? I would.
3P 9:09:
Microphone on Kovy. Pedneault says Ryder is up to his old no-pass tricks.
3P commercial break:
I'm surprised to see Grabovski
3P 12:00:
Gerber has been spectacular.
3P Commercial break:
Another PP. How about that backhanded pass from Higgins to Koivu?
3P 15:00:
Too many icings. And Ottawa is first to the puck too often.
3P 17:31:
Ottawa keeps getting closer.
18:40:
The ageless Randy Robitaiile is centring Heatley and Alfred E. Danielsson.
3P 19:25:
That was close. Komisarek is great today. Four blocked shots, four hits.
Before the third:
Ottawa started to come on toward the end of the second period. I can't believe they're going to be held scoreless in their own building. Canadiens could have used a second goal. They had chances. I lost count of the odd-man ruses, but the scoring off them was easier to tally: 0.
Third period is going to be sick.
2P 00:22:
Terrible PP, but so what?
2P commercial break:
Heatley, whose head is going to explode, takes a penalty. And Neil deserves one, too, for trying to mug Markov.
2P commercial break:
This is crazy. Playoff hockey ... on Nov. 10. Teams are going end to end. Goalies are great. Everyone is skating miles. CBC's Hockey Day in Canada is peaking early.
2P 6:00:
How did Huet stop that Alfredsson blast?
2P 9:07:
What next? Carbo hammering a stick on the bench. And Huet stops Alfredsson. Is this game great or what? Afternoon delight, indeed.
11:15:
How did Huet stop that? Unreal!!
2P 11:31:
No stick? No problem. Still got goalposts.
2P 12:30:
How many shots and passes has Roman Hamrlik blocked?
2P 12:48 Commercial break:
Ouf! This pace is crazy. And Ottawa goes on the PPNo matter what happens, Canadiens have shown they can play with these league-leading guys ... in THEIR building.
2P 15:00:
I can't blog everything that's happening in this game. Kovy is on fire, and so is Higgins. Bu neither scored on that 2-on-1. But it's all Canadiens here.
2P 17:14:
Tom the Bomb: What a horse on the PK.
2P 18:32:
Penalty on Pleks, but I've seen dirtier hits.
2P 19:40:
Pedneault is having a great old time between the benches. Schmoozing withe the ref. Eavesdropping. The full PcGuire.
Between the first and second:
P.J. Stock is picking up where McGuire left off Thursday night: Guy Carbonneau is getting really good at line matching •
Gary Galley: "John Paddock is not getting his pants in a dander."
Huh? • P.J. doubts that Christophe Scubert can put Mike Komisarek off his game.
1P 00:00:
Great period for the Canadiens. Pedneault, pulling a McGuire between the benches, says the Canadiens dominated every aspect of the game. Best first period since the Philadelphia game.
Antoine Vermette is almost as pretty as Chantal.
1P 00:45:
Did Ryder think he was going to score on that short backhand? Man, he's messed up.
1P 2:00:
Cristobal: DON'T HANDLE THE PUCK!
How about that slash the littl twit Foligno laid on Kovy.
No respect.
1P 3:06:
Huet great on a 3-on-1. And Komisarek gives it to Heatley. A few crease skirmishes. Ottawa doesn't like trailing ... and being outplayed.
1P 4:30:
Yvon Pedneault says Dany Heatley's lazy-ass forechecking is bugging Alfredsson.
1P Break:
What? Captain K in a scrap? With Patrick Eaves? What's the league coming to? Streit and Alfredsson on the undercard.
1P 7:40:
Love that hustle. Kovy gets back to cover an errant pass that Ottawa picked up.
1P 8:49:
That has to be the softest penalty Chris Neil has ever taken. And it costs them. Sheldon Who? Markov has three PP goals
1-0
1P Second break:
I haven't seen the shot count, but Canadiens must be dominating. Nothing too taxing for Gerber, but they're getting some rubber on him and pressuring Ottawa's D.
1P 13:00:
Dumb penalty, behind Canadiens net, to Heatley. Here comes that hot PP
1P First commercial break:
Both teams are skating like they've got hot dates at Happy Hour. I love this kind of hockey (and my Happy Hour date has four legs and will want a walk.)
1P 15:20:
Komisarek saves his defence partner's ass after Markov pnches and the Senators get a 2-on1.
1P 16:40:
Canadiens starting very fast here. I guess first-period lethargy has been exorcised.
1p 18:30:
Latendresse in for Bégin and Grabovski on the fourth line.
1P 19:25:
Christopher Higgins just gets better and better. Battling Volchenkov is not easy.
1p 20:00:
Who's that beside Gerber? Gary Bettman in goalie gear?
1P 20:00:
The OPP cop is singing O Canada with a Legion colour guard ... on the CBC, not RDS
1P 20:00:
How old is Gerber? He looks 40 ... P.J. Stock is becoming a national star. He's on the CBC's pre-game show, with Gary Galley and Ron McLean
Pre-game banter:
• The Senators have not lost consecutive regular-season games since last December.
• Canadiens OWN Martin Gerber, right?
• The Hall of Habs-Killers: Daniel F. Alfredsson, Tomas F. Kaberle, Erik F. Cole, Brian F. Gionta.
Nominations welcome
Share the agony and ecstasy of Habs fandom and read live blogs from every game with Gazette columnist Mike Boone.
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