Canadiens Energized, Lightning Angry: Game 6 Emotions

May 9, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; The Montreal Canadiens celebrate their victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in game five of the second round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

The Montreal Canadiens are going for a 3rd victory in order to stay alive in these playoffs, and they have one message for their opponents: bring it on. On the other side of the ice, the Tampa Bay Lightning are harboring a very different emotion: anger.

I believe the Habs have it right. Here’s why.

When the two coaches offer their insight in interviews, we can see the differences in style. But recently, as the Canadiens have begun to climb out of their previous 3-0 hole to get the series to 3-2, each coach has shown vivid contrasts in their approaches.

Now, out of both camps come the moods and game plans hinted at by each coach, and players. And again, their differences are stark.

Jon Cooper, just yesterday, said his guys were genuinely [ticked] off after the Game-5 loss. It was harder than the 6-2 blowout of Game 4. He said he likes where they are now, it’s carried over, and he wants to be an angry team.

Here’s the problem with that – and all he had to do was consult the Canadiens’ recent games.

When the Habs played the Ottawa Senators, in Game 3, the Sens were angry as well. They’d been beaten twice, they were coming home to their fans, and they played angry hockey. This translated into a total of 61 hits, an extremely physical game, and another loss.

The Canadiens had the tables turned on them in Game 2 of this current round; they had an extremely undisciplined game. It was probably the most unglued we’d seen this team in a long time, and it worked out badly for them. Their emotions got the better of them (and their fans, I should add!) and they lost control.

In the other 4 games of this series, the Canadiens have been skating fast, kept their passing sharp, and outplayed Tampa Bay to the point where even their coach has admitted that “Montreal dictated a lot of the play.”  This was stated after the Game 4 win, but referencing their luck in having won Game 3 (with a 1.1-second buzzer beater).

Here’s the kicker – Montreal has not changed their game play. From Game 1, we have seen tight passing, dominant plays, capitalizing on Tampa’s turnovers, puck possession, and have bemoaned the bounces that haven’t gone the team’s way.

Perhaps Tampa hasn’t played angry yet – but they might be in for a shocker when it doesn’t work for them either.

Today, Cooper’s message is:

• TB didn’t play undisciplined but Montreal got 3 power plays and they got none
• He’s “not saying anything about the refs” – but…if you take out the power plays, the game could have gone anyone’s way

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