HabsWorld.net --
Forget the outcome of the Boston – Montreal game for a moment, which ended
8-6 for the B’s. When you tuned in to watch or listen to this game, did
you quite expect an 8-goal period and two near line brawls? If so, picking
winning lottery numbers should be in your near future. Wednesday’s game
had everything, including stellar goaltending, nifty plays, hits, the whole
works.
The game started off relatively slow in the first half of the 1st period.
However, Boston picked up a pair of quick goals in just 12 seconds to give the
Bruins a 2-0 lead heading into the 2nd. Just as the period ended though,
there was a small skirmish as Boston’s Milan Lucic got a piece of Carey Price.
Not only did that undo a Boston powerplay, but it set the tone for what can only
be described as a unique 2nd period.
Brian Gionta scored just 25 seconds into the frame while the teams were
4-on-4 (due to the Lucic penalty). P.K. Subban, who had a giant bulls-eye
on his back all night tied it on the PP, setting off a goal barrage. Adam
McQuaid, Yannick Weber (his 1st regular season goal in the NHL), Michael Ryder,
and Lucic all scored less than 2 minutes apart (total) before ‘the fun’ began.
It all started on a late hit after an icing as James Wisniewski was taken
down. That started a brouhaha that saw 32 PIMS called, and the first ever
fight of Carey Price’s career, one that lasted all of 5 seconds and saw all
parties involved laughing after. That may have been the lone bit of good
sportsmanship in this contest. It also led to 11 players being in the
penalty box simultaneously, and a Montreal powerplay. As was one of the
recurring themes of the night, the Habs scored on it as David Desharnais snapped
his mini goal drought, cutting the Boston lead to 5-4. It wasn’t long
before Lucic struck again though as he scored barely 2 minutes later, making it
6-4. In total, there were 7 goals scored in a span of 6:19 in the second.
The Habs, to their credit, kept pressing as Max Pacioretty scored on another
Habs’ PP 7 minutes into the 3rd but that was as close as they got. Ryder
(his 2nd) and Nathan Horton each beat Price before ‘the fun’ began again.
There were 4 fights in the dying minutes of the 3rd, involving the newest set of
Habs heavyweights: Benoit Pouliot, Tom Pyatt, Roman Hamrlik, and Jaroslav Spacek.
Then McQuaid went after Pacioretty, a retaliatory gesture stemming back to their
last meeting in January. I suppose you could suggest that Pacioretty had
the last laugh as the Habs were given a PP as a result, Pacioretty scored to cap
off quite the eventful and entertaining night.
Despite 2 touchdowns being scored between the teams, both goalies were
surprisingly good tonight, though the numbers obviously say otherwise.
Price stopped 26 of 34 in the loss while Thomas stopped 27 of 33. One
positive from the night was Montreal’s powerplay, which unofficially went 4/10
(as of the time of writing, the number of PP opportunities kept changing).
Boston unofficially was 1/5.
HW 3 Stars of the Night:
1st Star: Brian Gionta (1 goal, 1 assist, +2 rating, 4 PIMS, 4
shots, 18:48 TOI)
When the Habs needed a spark after a poor end to the 1st, he provided it.
For whatever reason, the captain really seems to elevate his game when playing
against Boston and he was a big factor in this one.
2nd Star: James Wisniewski (2 assists, -1 rating, 2 PIMS, 2
shots, 2 hits, 24:12 TOI)
For someone who hadn’t played in over a week, there wasn’t a whole lot of
rust. He moved the puck well, shot when he got the chance and wasn’t
terrible 5-on-5 in his own end. A note on the stats, the assists keep
changing on some goals, he may have 3 assists when all is said and done.
3rd Star: Max Pacioretty (2 goals, 4 PIMS, 3 shots, 17:30 TOI)
He was a little quiet at the beginning but made his presence felt as the game
went on, especially after being injured briefly in the 2nd. I was a little
concerned with him being out there late in the game but he got through that and
scored on the next shift.
Honourable Mention: Yannick Weber (1 goal, 2 assists, -1
rating, 1 shot, 18:40 TOI)
In the HW Recap on Monday, I commented on how his offensive game had tapered
off somewhat. Not anymore. He was efficient on the PP, knowing when
to shoot and when to pass off and was also only one of two Montreal d-men to not
take a penalty.
Stat of the Night: 192 – PIMS…need I say more? The next
matchup is a month away on March 8th, you might want to circle your calendars.
