Ott in OT.
The Canadiens were frustrated again in trying to win a sixth straight game.
A heroic third-period comeback featured goals by Max Pacioretty and Colby Armstrong.
But it went for naught when P.K. Subban went for a big hit on the boards and took an ill-advised high-sticking penalty in overtime.
Consensus was the refs blew the call, but what does it matter?
With one second remaining in the Subban penalty, Steve Ott buried the rebound of a Jordan Leopold shot.
Jhonas Enroth was spectacular in nets for Buffalo as the Canadiens outshot the Sabres 26-8 through the last 40 minutes of regulation time. He made 32 saves on the night.
Carey Price was beaten three times on 21 shots.
Buffalo, with the power play, scored on their third shot of OT.
The Canadiens retain their hold on first place in the Northeast Division as Boston lost 3-1 in Winnipeg.
The Bruins still hold a game in hand but are two points behind the Canadiens.
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Like I have said before, before going to a shootout, go to 3 on 3 if there isn’t a winner after 4 on 4.
There, will probably be a winner 90% of the time, and still keep the team concept.
If someone MUST be blamed for this loss it has to be the coach.
He made a number of mistakes:
1) Going into the game Lars Eller had played 19 minutes on the powerplay unit and during that span of time the team scored 3 power play goals. That averages to one goal every 6.5 minutes.
Gallagher had played 55 minutes and during that span the team scored a total of 3 power play goals.
During the game we had 4 minutes of powerplay time, Gallagher played 2 minutes, Eller? ……Zero
2. Josh Georges spent 52 seconds on the PP unit. There has to be a better option for the PP. Tinordi, Eller, a forward, whatever, If Tinordi is not trustable to play on the powerplay ahead of Georges than Kaberle should be dressed in his place, or he needs to get a forward to play the point.
3). In the overtime 4 versus 3 MT played Moen up front. When we needed our best skaters on the ice he left Eller and Gallagher on the bench in favor of Moen.
4) He did not adjust ice time to favor Bouillion . we score every 18 minutes when Bouillion on the ice, every 22 with Georges and every 26 with Emelin ( with or without Tinordi?) over Georges and/or Emelin when we were trailing by two goals.
On the other hand do we need to blame anyone for the loss? I am happy with the one point. The team played well most notably Gallagher ( on even strength) and Eller. They played exciting hockey in the last two periods, and frankly if they could have taken advantage of some of their many scoring chances it would have been a blowout.
I am (somewhat) kidding when I blame the loss on the coach. But pointing to Subban as the guy to blame is not right , either. They should have won the game in regulation.
Kudos to Galchenyuk for a beautiful assist and to Armstrong for a nice move to finish.
regards,
Steve O.
Gallagher played his heart out. Love that kid. As for Subban, I’ll take the bad with the good any day of the week.
I always hear the players before the games saying we don’t come into these games thinking ‘we can take a break because they’re an easy team’ and how every team is a good team and don’t let their positioning in the standings get to their heads. It’s a load of BS. Isles and Sabres have had the Habs’ number all season. There is something wrong with the way the team is approaching these games, and I’m looking at the vets. Why does the team play well against the guys like Boston, NYR and NJ but come out flat against Tampa Bay?
The key is that the Habs have turned it around from last year and will get better and better in the next few years..So lets enjoy this season…The playoffs will be a toss up as teams are very close..Would it be a total shock if the Habs make it to the final?..i dont think so but if they get beaten 4-0 in the first round all o/t games that would not be a shock either…
You know reading these boards is as painful as watching hockey with a Bruins fan. We are second in our conference with a team that is winning without Bourque, Prust and Diaz. We come back from a 2-0 deficit…last year that was a sure loss. Price, Subban, MaxPac, Gallagher, Eller, Prust, Galchenyuk. Pleks, Georges…this is our team and our future. And a damn bright one. And I have seen us trade way too many of our studs (LeClair, Desjardins, Chelios, Roy, et al) to start thinking about trading any of our core.
We are watching our Habs play exciting, fun and hard working hockey…and we are first in our division, second in our conference, and fourth overall…with a young core that has nothing but upside.
If you want to trade Price or Subban, if you look in the mirror, you will see Pierre Gauthier…
_______________________________________________________
Let’s trade Price…been a long time since the Habs have been fleeced….I miss it.
LOVE your avatar pic!
It sort of looks like Pierre Gauthier when he was informed of his dismissal.
I can’t stop laughing at your avatar pic to read your post…hahahahah…my stomach hurts…brilliant. It looks like Julien in the seventies after his first loss…before he lost his hair!
“You’re always, always, always looking to make your team better. Always.”- Marc Bergevin
With our surplus of picks? In a heartbeat, you judge a player like this for half a shortened season. You’re an effin’ idiot.
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=55126
I think the guy who can’t reply in the right place and has to resort to name calling is the one who is making snap judgements. We are not suppose to “judge” a hockey player by his stats? Are you serious? Then how do you assess what to give up to acquire him? Last time the Habs assessed a player without looking at his stats, they ended up with Gomez and the Rangers McDonaugh. Brilliant strategy genius. BTW have you heard of PK Subban? He was drafted in the second round. But you would trade a second round pick for a rental with ZERO goals who plays on the same team as Thorton, Couture, Marleau, Boyle etc. And you call me an idiot? Give me a break…
“You’re always, always, always looking to make your team better. Always.”- Marc Bergevin
On a positive note, Nashville loses again. Their 2nd round pick is starting to look like an early 2nd round pick in a very good draft.
I totally agree that Subban didn’t need to go for the big hit, not in OT when you are playing 4 on 4.
The trades for those picks last season were probably some of PG’s best moves.
Trade the pick for Clowe…we need another zero goal scorer since Gomez left…
“You’re always, always, always looking to make your team better. Always.”- Marc Bergevin
Lke I said before.
Actually here’s a question because the Price-hating doesn’t make sense… If you could have any goalie in the league right now who would you want?
Edit: keep in mind it’s a permanent move
Sergei…BOBROVSKI!!!
That’d be temporarily funny haha.
obviously Enroth!
One thing that I’ve noticed when people talk about PK:
- They always say that you don’t stickhandle as a Dman or try to be fancy
Sure, keeping it simple is good most of the time, but, really, the other reason why they say “you don’t do that as a Dman” is usually because most Dmen simply can’t even if they wanted to – they don’t have his skills.
Today’s Toronto Sun has an article about what would happen if a large asteroid smashed into Earth.
IMHO,if a large asteroid smashes into the Earth,it might disrupt Habs wonderful season,much in the same way players’ strike disrupted Expos marvellous season in 1994.
The Toronto Sun should be worried about the large as&@$#@& in the Mayor’s office…
“You’re always, always, always looking to make your team better. Always.”- Marc Bergevin
However,if such an asteroid were to strike,the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending problems would be over.
What goaltending problems? ScriVezina!
“You’re always, always, always looking to make your team better. Always.”- Marc Bergevin
Arguably Ottawa’s second best d-man gets hurt tonight and they still come back and win…this is getting ridiculous…
“You’re always, always, always looking to make your team better. Always.”- Marc Bergevin
Who got hurt?
http://nickolaisblog.wordpress.com/
People talking about benching PK makes me smile. Seriously, give your head a shake
Anybody notice the High stick Galchenyuck got in the face? He bled all over the ice most of the game. That went unpunished and should have given us a 4-minute power play.
Some might say that’s where the game was decided.
More so than that other high stick…
watch the replay guys it was a bad call. PK didn’t hit him with his stick…
People are not blaming Subban for the high-stick, they are blaming him for attempting to hit, which shows he is not a team guy.
Two minutes for attempting to hit and not being a team guy!! Sabres win.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Bill, PK has himself admitted it wasnt great decision, (I know some of you think there was second shooter, AIDS was an american engineered disease, and PK has to say it was a dumb mistake because MT wants him to)and yet you are still going on that it wasnt his fault, and now putting words in other peoples mouths. Its okay, bad mistake, lets not get carried away here with he isnt a team player and lets bench him.
Hey. No, I’m not a conspiracist. You don’t have to go back too many pages to see people using the penalty to show that “PK doesn’t buy into the team concept” or “he put himself first going for the highlight reel”. These are things that were actually said. And people have been saying he should be benched for it.
Hey wait, were you thinking I agreed with any of that? I hope not, because I don’t. I think he made a bad play, but that it wasn’t a penalty, and shouldn’t have been called. I am saying people are going overboard blaming PK. Just to be clear.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Ya okay same here, it is going overboard a little too much, benching subban, lol, insanity, but it was his fault, lol, just as any dumb play is a dumb play, lets not break out the pitch forks just yet though.
I BLAME GAUTHIER FOR BEING THERE
http://nickolaisblog.wordpress.com/
Please do not forget Martin.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Thats the 4th time i’ve heard him being at the bell center in the past month or so.
Wonder what the record is when he shows his mug
http://nickolaisblog.wordpress.com/
The Buffalo News was carrying Dave Stubbs tweets live during the game.
Supposedly Rob Ray agreed that the PK call was wrong on the Buffalo broadcast.
“You’re always, always, always looking to make your team better. Always.”- Marc Bergevin
I think experiences with games like this should help the team in the playoffs where such low scoring games occur more frequently and sometimes an opposing goalie becomes an impenetrable wall.
I think this will motivate the habs to win their next two games at least.
Look yes we lost on an unfortunate play etc etc but the first two periods weren’t fantastic by us we can always win in OT or the 3rd period sometimes we need good 1st and 2nd periods which we have done before
http://nickolaisblog.wordpress.com/
3 on 3 is extremely exciting
Geez… from the noise being made in here you’d have a hard time believing we’re 19-5-5… what, if we don’t go undefeated we might as well just pack it in?
Price sucks eh?
Another riveting night of ripping our best players! PK and Price are the Habs, now and in the future.
Here’s a novel concept, they are not going to win every game.
See ya in the Island.
@L elle Well said.
CH = Les Glorieux!!!
Ripping is what we do, Elle. A loss makes it so much easier…
They aren’t going to win every game?!