HabsWorld.net -- 


In the first game back after the Christmas break the
Canadiens suffered an overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Sean Hill scored the winner on the power-play. The power play was the
result of a borderline penalty call on Andrei Markov for boarding. The game was not one of the better ones for the Canadiens who looked rusty coming
off the holiday break. The game marked the returns of Patrice Brisebois and
Yanic Perreault to the lineup , both had been injured.


 


Carolina 1-0: After a sloppy line change the Canadiens get called for too
many men on the ice. Sean Hill gets his first power-play goal of the game with
an accurate shot from the right slot area. Poor coverage by the Canadiens
on the play as the Canes easily entered the offensive zone and Hill was left
uncovered.


 


Montreal 1-1: Richard Zednik replies for the Canadiens with a power-play
goal of his own. The goal was a result of the hardwork by Saku Koivu , Koivu
while on his knees fended off 2 canes for the puck then somehow passed it to
Ryder , Ryder then found an open Zednik who scored with a one-timer.


 


Carolina 2-1: Canes power-play goal. Ron Francis cleanly beats Joe Juneau
on the faceoff , passes back to Hill , Hill beats Theodore over the right
shoulder with a wrister. Well on the bright side the Habs waited till overtime
to lose the game.


 


Comments :


Ward was called up from Hamilton for the game , but gets scratched.
Julien instead decides to use the one dimensional Yanic Perreault on the fourth
line. It was Yanic Perreaults first game back from injury , Patrice Brisebois
also used this game to return from his injury.


 


– The 2nd line of Zednik , Ribeiro and Dagenais had a rough game. The line
was ineffective in the offensive zone , and a total disaster in the defensive
one. Only when Zednik and Ribeiro were on the PP did they produce.


 


Habs Hero : Michael Ryder. Ryder had loads of chances in the game and
would of scored if not for the heroics of Kevin Weekes. Ryder finished the game
with 1 assist , 3 shots on goal , and an even for plus/minus.


 


Habs Zero : Andrei Markov. Markov has not been playing very well this
year , and tonight was not one of his better games. Markov made bad decisions ,
bad passes , bad receptions of passes the entire night.


 


Final Thoughts : A disappointing result for the Canadiens
who might have underestimated the opposition. Next up on the road trip is a trip
to Atlanta to play the surprising Thrashers. It will be interesting to see what
Claude Julien does to his lineup now that its 100% healthy.