Nov 11, 2014; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Canadian Armed Forces color guard on Remembrance Day before the game between the Montreal Canadien and the Winnipeg Jets at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
On a day where we should all stop and remember those who fought bravely for our freedom, the Habs didn’t let their faithful down. Perhaps it was the stirring rendition of Oh Canada that the crowd serenaded us with, but the Habs came out with strong. Let’s take a closer look.
For the third straight game the Habs scored the first goal, but not in the first period. They generated offensive chances by moving their feet and were rewarded with Evander Kane taking not one, but two penalties in the first period alone. That was the good, there was some bad as well. PK Subban turned over the puck more than once, and I don’t like to harp on the young man, but every single time he lost the puck the Jets pounced on it and had a decent scoring chance. Still that’s why they pay Carey Price the big bucks, as he bailed his team out on some grade A scoring chances.
Was I the only one enjoying the sound of the pipes calling? After having some tough bounces go against them, the balance shifted and the sweet sounds of pipe was heard on four occasions. After so many tight games keeping the puck out by sheer will, I’m certain Price is a more than happy to let the universe lend him a hand.
Nov 11, 2014; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Winnipeg Jets forward Evander Kane (9) misses a goal against Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price (31) and teammate defenseman Andrei Markov (79) during the third period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
The Habs opened the scoring when Eller put in a rebound after Sekac made a nice play driving the net. If anyone had any doubts about Sekac replacing Bourque in the lineup his play over the last few games should erase them handily. Galchenyuk would add another in the third before Plekanec would ice it with less than a minute to play. The Jets would come close to closing the gap in the final ninety seconds after Sekac was called for tripping. Why the Habs needed the excitement, I’ll never know, but it made for a hectic last-minute of play until Patches fed Plekanec for a freebie empty net goal.
Once again the Habs would be blanked on the powerplay, going 0 for 3, but perhaps Gonchar will help them with that next game. On the bright side they didn’t give up any powerplay goals, so we’ll call it a draw on the special teams battle. It’s great that they’re getting by on the strength of 5 on 5 goals, but you need some powerplay goals or won’t get you far in the playoffs.
Here are a couple of players I want to single out after tonight’s game;
- Jiri Sekac – His game now that it’s not in the pressbox is giving the Habs a true 3rd scoring line.
- Carey Price – Sure the pipes were calling tonight, but he was stellar all night long when they needed him. His ability to come up with a big save right when the Habs need it is what separates the the elite from the average. Just give him the Molson Cup already.
- PK Subban – Happy 300th game. Let’s close this chapter and completely forget this game ever happened. Let’s erase this beginning of the season and concentrate on the next 100 games.
Nov 11, 2014; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Lars Eller (81) celebrates with teammates Brandon Prust (8) and Jiri Sekac (26) after scoring a goal against the Winnipeg Jets during the second period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
The Jets ended up with more shots on goal, but not until the Habs had a 2 goal lead in the 3rd period. For most of the game I thought that they dictated the play with quick puck movement, but were prone to bad giveaways. Although they scored the magic 3 goals, this really was another game where they needed to rely on their goaltending to keep them in it while they figured things out. Still, it was a solid win and one that never truly felt in doubt.
Lastly, with Gonchar now in the fold, I can’t see the Habs planting his behind in the pressbox. That means someone has to come out to make room for the wily old vet. The question on my mind is who? This probably means that unless they make another move, there are too many defencemen on the roster. Who will be demoted back down to Hamilton?
Thanks for reading.