HabsWorld.net --
They fought hard at the end, but the Habs were unable to overcome an early
deficit, falling 4-2 to the Flyers in the game and 4-1 in the series. The
game got off to a great start as Brian Gionta scored in the first minute, but a
SHG by Mike Richards tied it up shortly thereafter. The game was lost when
Philly scored a pair in less than 90 seconds in the second period when Arron
Asham and Jeff Carter scored. Montreal generated some momentum late into
the period which set the stage for a highly entertaining 3rd.
The Habs had loads of chances in the 3rd period but were only able to score
once as Scott Gomez snapped his goalless drought 7 minutes into the stanza.
The Habs squandered a 4 minute PP just a few minutes later and just weren’t able
to get the tying goal in the dying seconds. Carter’s second of the game
into an empty net sealed the deal.
HW 3 Stars of the Night:
1) Scott Gomez: It took him most of the series to get going but he
saved the best for last to say the least. He was a catalyst offensively
and made some strong defensive plays. The Habs could’ve used that earlier,
but full props for his effort in this one.
Statline: 1 goal, 1 assist, even rating, 4 shots, 3 hits, 13/24
faceoffs (54.2%), 24:40 TOI
2) Brian Gionta: He scored the key goal a minute into the game and
like Gomez, was an offensive threat all night, largely off Gomez’s feeds.
His never say die effort in this game may very well have cemented his status for
captain next season.
Statline: 1 goal, 1 assist, even rating, 7 shots, 3 hits, 3 takeaways,
24:47 TOI (team high)
3) Hal Gill: He was having a disappointing series but had a very
strong bounce back game being his usual shot blocking self and stopping several
scoring chances. An odd side note, this is the earliest Gill has been
eliminated from the postseason in the past 3 years.
Statline: 0 points, -1 rating, 8 blocks (game high), 16:43 TOI
HM) P.K. Subban: The first half of the game, he looked completely lost
out there but he showed the poise of a veteran the rest of the way. His
performance in this game and in these playoffs will be instrumental to this team
moving forward.
Statline: 1 assist, even rating, 4 shots (13 attempts), 2 blocks,
22:42 TOI
Stat of the Night: The whole series, fans have been bemoaning how
physical the Flyers were. Tonight, the Habs actually out hit Philadelphia
by a 21-18 count. For the second straight game, Maxim Lapierre led both
teams in hits, this time with 5.
With the Habs season now over, HabsWorld now shifts its focus to the Hamilton
Bulldogs, who will play Game 7 of their 3rd round series on Wednesday night.
Keep checking HW for the latest on the Dogs and any news as we approach a
prospect signing deadline next week.
