Habs @ Washington: GAME 2

[brobin]

dude.. get real.. I know you seem to be happy about this, but they scored 6 goals because when they were back on their heels the refs let the mess with Halak.. its called goalie interference. They ignored several blatant calls againt the caps, then called the habs for everything in the 3rd.

Sorry, but if they had called Poti in the 2nd, I guarantee you this would have been habs up 2..

It's playoff hockey, the Capitals scored 6 goals, should we blame that on the refs?

When you score 5 goals, you should win the game.

[meazza]

Good to see NHL refs consistently bad.

We'll win game 3.

[brobin]

for the record, not impressed with how the habs handled it either... although I though Pleks has got them back in it..

[bar]

Words cannot describe my disgust with the ref'ing of this game...the blatant miss calls was unthinkable. I hope these two refs are suspended for the playoffs, this is why refs should have to answer media after the game and be accountable...how can you have any faith in a league where this can happen.

[Wamsley01]

dude.. get real.. I know you seem to be happy about this, but they scored 6 goals because when they were back on their heels the refs let the mess with Halak.. its called goalie interference. They ignored several blatant calls againt the caps, then called the habs for everything in the 3rd.

Sorry, but if they had called Poti in the 2nd, I guarantee you this would have been habs up 2..

It is playoff hockey. Teams crowd the crease. Montreal needs to do the same, end of story.

THe Habs had a 5-4 lead with a minute to go, how did the refs affect the tying goal?

The Habs had a 4-2 lead entering the 3rd and gave up 3 goals.

Edited April 18, 2010 by Wamsley01

[Habsy]

dude.. get real.. I know you seem to be happy about this, but they scored 6 goals because when they were back on their heels the refs let the mess with Halak.. its called goalie interference. They ignored several blatant calls againt the caps, then called the habs for everything in the 3rd.

Sorry, but if they had called Poti in the 2nd, I guarantee you this would have been habs up 2..

hopefully, we'll get some of those calls on home ice...and hopefully Theo get's the start.

[meazza]

Words cannot describe my disgust with the ref'ing of this game...the blatant miss calls was unthinkable. I hope these two refs are suspended for the playoffs, this is why refs should have to answer media after the game and be accountable...how can you have any faith in a league where this can happen.

Because when you blame the refs, you're considered a whiner.

It is playoff hockey. Teams crowd the crease. Montreal needs to do the same, end of story.

THe Habs had a 5-4 lead with a minute to go, how did the refs affect the tying goal?

About 10 seconds before the tying goal, Markov got hit in the face with a stick.

Just ask Pierre Maguire.

[bar]

It is playoff hockey. Teams crowd the crease. Montreal needs to do the same, end of story.

THe Habs had a 5-4 lead with a minute to go, how did the refs affect the tying goal?

The Habs had a 4-2 lead entering the 3rd and gave up 3 goals.

How about the fact they missed the blatant high stick against Markov with 2 to go that would have sealed the game? That's one example.

[brobin]

Well, back to Montreal.. boys need to regroup... the only thing they need to do is come up with a strategy for when the caps drive the net and pour it on.. get back to playing the way they did early in the game.

I hope we at least split in Montreal.. this series will go long if we are going to win it...

Habs D needs to watch the goals again.. the video will show that both Halak and Theo were screwed by their D backing up and letting the shooter get to the high slot and using them to screen.. then pick the corner...

If you look earlier, you see Spacek closing the distance on them forcing them to shoot early.. which ends up as a block or an easy save... this game has about 10 examples of each.

[bar]

I should be happy...split was what everyone said would be good...but I cannot let this go, and it sucks as fans there's no way to show the NHL your displeasure.

[meazza]

I should be happy...split was what everyone said would be good...but I cannot let this go, and it sucks as fans there's no way to show the NHL your displeasure.

Stop watching?

I guess that is the only way...

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

True, the reffing sucked - not so much because it was anti-habs but because it bore next to no relationship to what we see in the regular season. (I cannot understand how it makes any sense for a league to create total disconnect between regular-season and playoff play). Still, Wamsley is right. From the Caps's second goal onward, we were overmatched; their size and strength is the back-breaker. I've never seen Hamrlik bounce off guys like he's doing this playoff. He and Spacek are giving it their all, but it's a percentages thing. Eventually, the gorilla gets you down.

Having said that, Halak *did* suck ass on both the tying and GWG goals. The loss isn't his fault exactly, and I agree that you come back with Halak next game, but facts are facts, your goalie HAS to make at least one of those saves when you're up against a steamroller.

I don't expect the Habs to wilt. But I hate the momentum-changing, series-defining feel of the game we saw tonight. This was a must-win if we were to have a realistic chance of winning the series. I say we'll split the game in Montreal, and then lose the series in 6.

Edited April 18, 2010 by The Chicoutimi Cucumber

[hab29RETIRED]

It is playoff hockey. Teams crowd the crease. Montreal needs to do the same, end of story.

you can bet if it was the habs running the goaltending interference they would have been called on it.

Keys to the loss:

1) Lousy refereeing

2) Usual job by Martin for getting outcoached and not making the right adjustments when the game was getting away

3) Gomez picks a lousy time to decide to try and add to his lowly fight total. There is no way in a playoff game he should have been getting in a fight - unless he was taking Ovechkin or Backstrom with him.

4) stupid penalties to take on the habs part

This was a blown oppertunity. Win and its 2-0 Habs in the series, now unless the caps goaltending totally collapses, i think its probably over, as the Caps got a bit of their mojo back now.

Edited April 18, 2010 by hab29RETIRED

[Habitforming]

I wish this one game was enough to finally seal the deal for Halak leaving but it won't be... sigh.

[bar]

What gets me...is right before the playoffs started the NHL made it a purpose to mention to the media that they gave instructions for the refs to cut down on the goaltending interference...grrrr...2-0 was within their grasp. Halak needs to work on his glove...stop going down so early.

[hab29RETIRED]

LIke i posted at the begining of the game. The habs needed a guy like O'byrne tonight. He is the only one with the size to clear the front of the net.

[kaos]

The Gomez fight was really the turning point. Washington really started taking it to Montreal after that. Great trade for Washington. Poti for Gomez. Montreal was effectively down to one line after that.

[brobin]

Nothing you can do for sure. Nothing the habs can do. If they complain, they will get screwed even more.

Its really a shame because this was shaping up to a nice 2 game lead. Now I think we are back to the long shots instead. If anyone expected Halak to put up a high save percentage in a series against the team with the most dangerous shooters in the league, they were dreaming.

The good news is that the caps seem to be playing a shootout game and over 7 games, Halak will beat V or Theo chance for chance. All he needs now is the D to get back to standing up to the shooter to rush them and he will be fine.

The other good news is we have two dangerous lines for the first time all season. AK, Pleks, Gionta, Gomez, Cammy, and Poliout are all playing well now. Let's see if they can do it at home.

I should be happy...split was what everyone said would be good...but I cannot let this go, and it sucks as fans there's no way to show the NHL your displeasure.

[bar]

I must say, everyone is taking this better than I am...hahah...

I dunno..Poliout really hurt the habs tonight...selfish penalty.

Edited April 18, 2010 by bar

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

What gets me...is right before the playoffs started the NHL made it a purpose to mention to the media that they gave instructions for the refs to cut down on the goaltending interference...grrrr...2-0 was within their grasp. Halak needs to work on his glove...stop going down so early.

I like our team, but the lack of size hurts us here. We simply CAN'T plough over their goalie like the Caps do to ours.

And I don't accept the 'double standard' argument. Pouliot shoved his ass right in V's face at one point and almost scored. Nobody objected - in fact they delayed the game to check to make sure that he hadn't actually scored on the play. The issue is that the NHL allows a free-for-all in the playoffs, and we don't have the horses to play that kind of series. IF the refs called it the way the game is supposed to be called in the new NHL, we'd look loads better.

The Gomez fight was really the turning point. Washington really started taking it to Montreal after that. Great trade for Washington. Poti for Gomez. Montreal was effectively down to one line after that.

If nothing else, that proves the value of Gomer to this team. We were pathetic without him. Too bad it had to be demonstrated in such a bizarre and counter-productive way.

Edited April 18, 2010 by The Chicoutimi Cucumber

[Habsy]

I must say, everyone is taking this better than I am...hahah...

I'm trying to calm my brother down, he's in toronto, I'm in montreal...I guess it's because we're in the series, we were expected to be swept easily.

[bar]

I like our team, but the lack of size hurts us here. We simply CAN'T plough over their goalie like the Caps do to ours.

And I don't accept the 'double standard' argument. Pouliot shoved his ass right in V's face at one point and almost scored. Nobody objected - in fact they delayed the game to check to make sure that he hadn't actually scored on the play. The issue is that the NHL allows a free-for-all in the playoffs, and we don't have the horses to play that kind of series. IF the refs called it the way the game is supposed to be called in the new NHL, we'd look loads better.

If nothing else, that proves the value of Gomer to this team.

The difference between the Pouliot incident and the goal against the habs, is that Pouliot was driving with the puck to the net, where as the caps player was standing in the way of the goalie for a shot, not even close to the same situation.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I'm trying to calm my brother down, he's in toronto, I'm in montreal...I guess it's because we're in the series, we were expected to be swept easily.

Yeah, when you have no chance, everything is gravy. Like I said earlier, what really drives me crazy is that all the 'experts' can now start saying 'I told ya so' when it fact they grossly underestimated the character and skill of the Habs. And once we lose the series, it'll all go back to the 'defeat was inevitable/smurfs suck' storyline. BLEH.

[Wamsley01]

The Caps just steamrolled after they realized that they were in a series.

Once they got down 4-1, you could see their intensity rise. They stopped playing a perimeter

game and decided to take off their skirts and battle for every inch of the ice.

They went hard to the net and took advantage of a 5'11" goaltender. That is the proven

method of winning playoff hockey. The refs don't call it, then the Habs need to go do the same

thing.

Am I pissed off? No. Disappointed? Yes.

We all saw the momentum shift, we all saw a different game in the 3rd. This is not a shock, I saw this

exact same script on Feb 10th.

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nhl/boxscore;_y...?gid=2010021010

The Habs let one slip through their fingers.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

The difference between the Pouliot incident and the goal against the habs, is that Pouliot was driving with the puck to the net, where as the caps player was standing in the way of the goalie for a shot, not even close to the same situation.

True, but what I'm saying is that I doubt they'd call goalie interference on us in the same situation either. It's a free for all, and that favours the hulking teams, period. In *that* more systematic sense the reffing is biased. I don't think it's an anti-habs thing, although it may well be a 'home team bias' thing, since that was official policy in Bettman's NBA.