HabsWorld.net --
It was a game that many were expecting to be a
snoozefest like earlier in the week vs Buffalo but instead the opposite
happened. The Habs let in an early goal that could be categorized as a bit
of a softie but persevered to tie the game midway through the 2nd on the
powerplay on a goal by Scott Gomez. Despite plenty of opportunities in the
3rd, neither team scored forcing the game to overtime where Zach Parise scored
almost halfway through to send the Devils home with the extra point.
HW 3 Stars of the Night:
1) Scott Gomez: The most dominating presence for the Habs in this
one, led the team in shots while setting up several other strong opportunities.
Better still, he was the catalyst on the penalty kill which helped to shut down
one of the top powerplays in the league on 4 straight occasions. Scoring
the lone goal didn’t hurt his cause either:
Stat line: 20:59 TOI, 1 goal, 5 shots on goal, -1 rating, 11/18 faceoffs
2) Jaroslav Halak: The first goal was a little tough to swallow,
especially as early as it was in the game. However, he made several key
saves along the rest of the way and was a major reason why the Habs wound up
with a point in this one despite scoring just 1 goal. Hard to fault him on
the winner too.
Stat line: 26 saves on 28 shots, GAA: 1.91, SV%: .929
3) Brian Gionta: Like Gomez, he was a catalyst on the penalty kill which
helped lead to a few chances. For a player facing the only other team he
had ever played on in the NHL for the first time, it was a strong effort despite
not actually registering a shot on goal in the game.
Stat line: 20:08 TOI, 0 points, 0 shots, -1 rating, 2 PIMS, 2 hits
Honourable Mention
Travis Moen: For so long now, we’ve been clamouring for him to step up and
bring some energy and a physical presence to the lineup. Tonight, he did
that, as he stood up for Max Pacioretty in the 1st while leading the team in
hits to boot.
Stat line: 14:00 TOI, 0 points, 2 shots, even rating, 7 PIMS, 4 hits
