Gomez scores ! Gomez scores ! Gomez scores !
It is obvious to anyone that Scott Gomez and Lars Eller are fans of A Winning Habit . Gomez scored a goal last night and Lars picked up an assist after surely reading the post instructing Habs `management to send the pair down to the farm team .If only Mr. Gomez and Mr . Eller would inform the rest of the team of the best Habs blog on the net – then the team would not be trying to escape the media after last night `s loss to the lowly Oilers .
The Habs outplayed the Oilers in the first period . Carey Price was `The New Halak ` and the Habs `offence peppered rookie netminder Devan Dubnyk with 15 shots . The young `keeper kept the Edmonton crew in the match to allow his team to gain momentum and not lose faith and start looking for the ghost of Mark Messier . Scott Gomez showed Kurtis Foster what a wrist shot looks like at 13 : 05 of the first period and Foster returned the favor by demonstrating a slapshot four minutes later . Both examples beat the respective netminders on either side and the teams headed into the second locked at one .
Stay Away From the Fork
Although Glen Sather`s alma – matter outshot the Habs in the second period , 13 – 11 , it was the Montreal Canadiens who outplayed the visitors . Dubnyk did excellent imitations of Grant Fuhr yet ended up on the short end of his goal stick as Mathieu Darche and Roman Hamrlik both watched Foster `s first period lesson and launched their own versions of wrist shots past the Saskatchewan native . Hanrlik `s goal was netted at 10 : 02 of the period and the Habs started evolving into one of those two inch dinosaurs that you put into a glass of water . They were getting bigger and bigger yet unfortunately that is when they came to a`fork in the rink `. They did not listen to `farmer Martin `and chose the wrong direction . Instead of heading to the promised land they ended up in the `make Carey Price a promise to not do it again` land .
Three Sequels Don`t Make It Right
It is easy to see what happens to the Habs as they squander points to the lower lifes in the NHL . The third period last night was a perfect example of that . The team is playing a near perfect system under the coaching guidance of Martin , Pearn and Muller . The sytem is a winning one . The system is the type of formula that will enable the Canadiens to get very far into the play – offs and perhaps earn the team the right to sip from Lord Stanley `s Chalice once again . The problem is that the system is boring for the players and when they see teams such as the Edmonton bunch playing a wide oped style of hockey without `borders ` – the Hab players get jealous. Like a schoolboy looking out the window of his classroom at the leather jacket clad dude on the motorcycle . They are envious of the chicks the dude gets and the freedom. D eep inside they know that in a few months or years , they will not only get the girls and the freedom – they will also have respect . Discipline is not easy at times and even the `good boys `stray once in a while . If the Habs this season were in school – their four rebellious acts would gather at least one supsension . Three more and they will be kicked out of school or in the Habs case – the play – offs .
P. K . is for Poor Kid
Les Canadiens entered the third with a two goal lead and seemingly decided that an eighty – percent mark was good enough. It was time for fun !
The Habs came out like their Flyin `predecessors called the Frenchmen . Shift after shift they charged the Oiler zone – shift after shift Carey Price `s nerves must have gotten shakier than a James Bond Martini. Price could see the defensive breakdowns becoming as frequent as a Micheal Jackson nose-job . The wheels were getting loose on the Habs wagon and at 10 : 09 , a lug-nut fell off with a thud ! Ales Hemsky continued a chain of events that were started by two guys with last names that are hard to pronounce sober . M. Paajarvi and Vandermeer set up Hemsky for his 7th of the season . Hemsky continued the `wrist shot` theme of the evening beating Price with an excellent one on the short side . If the second Oiler goal landed on the ice with a thud , the third one certainly sent a crack the length of 1260, Rue de la Gauchetiere as Subban was the mechanic that forgot to tighten the nut .
Les Habs were on a power-play and the puck came toward Subban who was
stationed at the blueline in his rightful position . The puck was in no man `s land and every defenceman that has ever played the game will tell you – it is the straw that can break a NHL career `s back. P.K. `s initials became short for `poor kid ` as the rookie made a mistake that Subban the Sophmore will not make. Not only did he lunge for the disc – he skirted sideways in hope of dashing the Oilers plans for a quick break – out . The puck , the Oiler forwards and everyone left the zone with the exception of P. K. as he desperately sought out a hole to skate into. Sam Gagner and Hemsky headed out on a two on one and Gagne , using Gorges as a decoy , beat Price on – that `s right , a wrist shot at 13 : 17 .
P.K `s gaff enabled the Oilers to tie the game and for the next seven minutes the Habs tried their best to salvage some redemption for their rookie rearguard. Subban himself attempted to gain some credibility in the third but saved his best effort for overtime .
Just 3 : 23 into the extended period – Subban picked up a puck behind his net and headed out of the Habs zone like someone lit a firecracker under the Ontario native . He passed the puck to a breaking Cammalleri and the puck decided that it did not want to cooperate . Cammalleri and Subban kept skating forward and Dustin Penner picked up a loose puck at scored on a nifty backhander to win the game for the Oils. Subban and Cammalleri woke up with `goat `signs on their backs this morning .
Look on the bright side .
Gomez scores ! Gomez scores ! Gomez scores !
Habs are in New Jersey ce soir Game time is 7 pm Check out Pucks and Pitchforks .
Are you stupid ? Go to Too Many Men on the Site – it will make you feel at home .
Carey Price is second in the NHL player of the week.
Max Pacioretty is the player of the month in the AHL.
If you are in Montreal on Sunday Dec 5 th – head to La Kachette to help families in need this Xmas as the restaurant hosts Bands for Baskets .