April 19 Game #3 Montreal at Ottawa

[Habs30/31]

Anderson was great the last time he faced Habs in the playoffs. He has not since been able to play to that level. Plus he is rusty. I think the sens are screwed.

The sens are in deep, no faulting Anderson though. Played admirably. No match for Price though.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

It's very possible that Beaulieu was running around like a headless chicken because he had his bell rung by a head shot and it took the team a while to figure it out. Which is depressing.

[DON]

No, don't think he was 'out of it' (no concussion expert), he went after Karlsson on purpose and I think one or two other Sens in retribution for 2 clean hits he took.

I would say he was more embarrassed, lost his cool and acted like a rookie might. He had to grabbed by teammate in game 1 or 2 also and maybe is just like dad...a bit hot-headed/immature.

When he should be more like Gallagher, who has taken some big hits also, but bounces back up keeps on smiling and doing his thing.

[kuternoga]

Glenn Healy nailed it - we traded Cameron Diaz for Weise xD

[Machine of Loving Grace]

No, don't think he was 'out of it' (no concussion expert), he went after Karlsson on purpose and I think one or two other Sens in retribution for 2 clean hits he took.

I would say he was more embarrassed, lost his cool and acted like a rookie might. He had to grabbed by teammate in game 1 or 2 also and maybe is just like dad...a bit hot-headed/immature.

When he should be more like Gallagher, who has taken some big hits also, but bounces back up keeps on smiling and doing his thing.

He did go after them, but that doesn't mean he wasn't doing it with a head injury.

[dlbalr]

I wasn't all that thrilled with Beaulieu's play before that hit happened. He had the one brutal turnover in his own end and I remember noting that in the offensive zone, he was holding onto the puck way too long at the point before passing it off. The hit just compounded what was already a rough night for him. He can stand to have Game 4 off, injured or not. It'd be a good game for Pateryn who is a better fit in what will be a physical one for sure; Gilbert has shown he's passable on his off-side.

[DON]

Gilbert is passable eh?

Don't like beatin him up over & over, but my god he makes stupid plays with puck and is simply one scary dude with puck. I feel safer with Emelin handling puck than him.

[dlbalr]

Gilbert is passable eh?

Don't like beatin him up over & over, but my god he makes stupid plays with puck and is simply one scary dude with puck. I feel safer with Emelin handling puck than him.

He makes the odd hair-pulling play but he gets more grief than I think he deserves. If faced with playing Gilbert on his off side on Wednesday or Gonchar, I certainly wouldn't be upset if they moved Gilbert over (to play alongside Pateryn who would replace Beaulieu). I could see Gonchar struggling with the pace/physicality although given his play overall this year, he probably deserves a game.

[JCPetit]

It's very possible that Beaulieu was running around like a headless chicken because he had his bell rung by a head shot and it took the team a while to figure it out. Which is depressing.

I think he lost his concentration more than anything else. His pride is probably hurt more than anything else. He will learn from the experience.

Glenn Healy nailed it - we traded Cameron Diaz for Weise xD

I like Weise, but I would have kept Cameron nonetheless. ;-)

[Machine of Loving Grace]

I re-read the Weise trade thread for a laugh.

I didn't like the trade on paper but I had hope for Weise to bring some hardnose play. Was still a big supporter of Travis Moen.

Cucumber had some golden oldies about Weise never scoring and this possibly being another Habs prospect wasted. Commandant hated it.

I'll admit, the idea of the trade (skill for grit) I hated but I was always leaning for Weise just because I couldn't stand Raphael Diaz. There wasn't much analysis to it. I didn't like him at all so any return was better than him being a Hab. Not gonna claim I was a genius for giving Weise a chance.

Raphael Diaz hasn't played since April 2.

[JCPetit]

Just 4 gripes; obviously the PP, Subban undisciplined play on Sen goal blowing Price's chance at shutout, Beaulieu running around like headless chicken AND galldarn Gilbert simply has zero Hockey IQ, numerous stupid lazy turnovers again and suicide pass to Beaulieu.

Subban's play on the 1st goal was analyzed at l'Antichambre and TVA. Both panels came to the conclusion that Subban made the good play. The mistake was Pax's. No. 67 was supposed to cover McArthur but he cheated and went for the blue line, anticipating a pass and a possible break-away or two on one. Subban is far from being perfect, but he is not to blame on that play.

[JoeLassister]

I give this trade just as much importance than I do to the NFL Probowl.

Just for the sake of never seeing again the usual Diaz's suicide pass (see how Eller got killed last playoffs, and I screamed at my tv at least twice this season for the exact same reason), I'm in love with this trade.

I've never seen Diaz as more than a 3rd pair - 4th offensive dman. Will not even see the difference with him gone.

Beaulieu is already as good as him in his own end and has twice his ceiling while being younger and cheaper for years to come. AMAZING move. Would have prefered a 3rd pick though instead of a body.

I re-read the Weise trade thread for a laugh.

I didn't like the trade on paper but I had hope for Weise to bring some hardnose play. Was still a big supporter of Travis Moen.

Cucumber had some golden oldies about Weise never scoring and this possibly being another Habs prospect wasted. Commandant hated it.

I'll admit, the idea of the trade (skill for grit) I hated but I was always leaning for Weise just because I couldn't stand Raphael Diaz. There wasn't much analysis to it. I didn't like him at all so any return was better than him being a Hab. Not gonna claim I was a genius for giving Weise a chance.

Raphael Diaz hasn't played since April 2.

hahaha Up there, my 2 quotes from the Diaz-Weise thread. The first one just put a big smile on my face.

[Guest Stogey24]

Subban's play on the 1st goal was analyzed at l'Antichambre and TVA. Both panels came to the conclusion that Subban made the good play. The mistake was Pax's. No. 67 was supposed to cover McArthur but he cheated and went for the blue line, anticipating a pass and a possible break-away or two on one. Subban is far from being perfect, but he is not to blame on that play.

Pacioretty is still shook. Not skating hard at all out there

[Habs30/31]

Taking NB out of line up for mistakes (holding puck to long and one glaring give away) would be over kill. No need to change a winning line up unless he in injured. You work with him and drive home to move the puck quicker. As far as give aways, name a player that did not have one in that incredibly fast hard hitting game. NB will be fine.

and Gilly should buy him dinner for the Diaz pass he gave him on the karllson hit.

Pacioretty is still shook. Not skating hard at all out there

Yea he' s doing a great job of ushering himself back in while still groggy. A quick series would benefit Max and Markov the most.

[Habsfan]

Just 4 gripes; obviously the PP, Subban undisciplined play on Sen goal blowing Price's chance at shutout, Beaulieu running around like headless chicken AND galldarn Gilbert simply has zero Hockey IQ, numerous stupid lazy turnovers again and suicide pass to Beaulieu.

I agree with the 1st, 2nd and 4th points you made. I thought Beaulieu wasn't terrible. The suicide pass he got from Gilbert was ugly. Wasn,t his fault and he got nailed by Karlsson.

I definitely agree with you the Subban and the Sens goal. After he took the cross-check to the head, he started complaining...I clearly remember screaming at the TV telling Subban to go to the bench...but Noooo. He had to stay out there and take himself out of the play, which lead to the Sens goal! Dumb move P.K.!

[IN THE HEARTS OF MEN]

-i find it highly irrational if not funny that some fans are calling for changes to the line up of flynn and or DLR for the softer then cottenelle PAP to help the PP. that is a joke if I've ever heard one. we should not be messing with this line up that is now 3-0 in the series barring injury. especially the bottom 6 who are all pulling their weight in gold!! the young 19 yr old DLR hasn't done much but he hasn't made any critical errors either. he's growing this post season and if PAP can't find a spot on the top 2 lines he should be in reserve...

- GALCHENYUK is the guy i would point to on the 2 line to step up... both plex and gallagher have really impressed me by not shying away from any of the physicality of this series. chucky not so much! seems to not want to pay the price in this series so far (minus the low percentage spin-arama OT goal he was lucky to score... why do we always go after the pluggers? as for max he gets a pass from me no doubt..

-and yes DD did play a fine game and is quietly winning puck battles nor shying away from the roughness. yes we are being out hit... but we are generating way more chances, shots, goals etc.. all i can say is hitting is the sens game not ours... keep it up boys

-as for beaulieau. karlsonn did zero in on him and if watched over you'll see his shoulder is down and elbow is in but the principal point of contact was indeed the head!! not calling for a suspension, just stating what i saw as it was also the 2nd run he had taken at him... targeting the kid? i can almost bet the house that we will see gonchar in for beaulieau as pateryn is not a lefty and gilbert is much more effective on the right... this will cause the least disruption to the D core and MT will lean on the top 2 pairs in game 4. also gonchar was brought in for this exact reason! he is very, very well rested and his vast experience, ability to move the puck with a great first pass, and vision on the ice will be good... i don't think his foot speed will matter as much as his willingness to take or throw a hit in order to make a play!! and his PP experience could be vital to icing the sens on the PP. gonchar knows his career is coming to an end if this is his last chance... he'll come to play you'll see!

pateryn is indeed more physical but being up 3-0 in the series i can't help but believe that its experience in these situations that will help get us across the first hurdle.

i would go with

markov PK

emelin petry

gonchar gilbert as my pairings

and split the d on the PP

PK petry

markov beaulieau (gonchar)

-the PP? I've been saying it since the beginning of the season.... we HAVE NO QB! our point men play so erratic its not even funny any more. they can't gain the zone and when they do markov and PK spend more time flip flopping around that time just runs before anything meaningful can come to fruition. markov QB'ing from the right doesn't work because he skates backwards to the boards with the puck creating more space between him and PK. we need stability back there... I've said it countless times...choose one or the other and go with a PP of PK on the left and petry QB from the right or markov on the left and beaulieau(gonchar) on the right!! We also desperately have to work the play down low to open the points, and thats just not happening!

- reffiing i thought was very inconsistent. yes we had 5/6 PP's but some critical mistakes that could of costed us the game being the missed cross check to the head on subban leading to a goal the other way on the same shift! the 2man advantage not given in the 3rd instead putting patch in the box for a weak hook... that 4on4 was single handily dominated by karlsonn who bloody looked real good last night.

- i also noticed the sens standing up our forwards at there blue line with hits and forcing us to dump and retrieve... can MT adapt? the sens were more concerned with laying the body on our D and finishing all their checks then actually trying to turn over the puck.. i for one don't mind that at all as long as the boys can make that first pass out and be willing to take that hit to make the play!!

[IN THE HEARTS OF MEN]

I agree with the 1st, 2nd and 4th points you made. I thought Beaulieu wasn't terrible. The suicide pass he got from Gilbert was ugly. Wasn,t his fault and he got nailed by Karlsson.

I definitely agree with you the Subban and the Sens goal. After he took the cross-check to the head, he started complaining...I clearly remember screaming at the TV telling Subban to go to the bench...but Noooo. He had to stay out there and take himself out of the play, which lead to the Sens goal! Dumb move P.K.!

i saw it as subban went to play the body on kraals' who ducked under him tying him up, i thought the forwards had a rare blimp where i believe it was patch who lost the winger in the confusion along the boards...

[IN THE HEARTS OF MEN]

Taking NB out of line up for mistakes (holding puck to long and one glaring give away) would be over kill. No need to change a winning line up unless he in injured. You work with him and drive home to move the puck quicker. As far as give aways, name a player that did not have one in that incredibly fast hard hitting game. NB will be fine.

and Gilly should buy him dinner for the Diaz pass he gave him on the karllson hit.

Yea he' s doing a great job of ushering himself back in while still groggy. A quick series would benefit Max and Markov the most.

agreed... i like this line up and no changes need to be made barring an injury to NB. hoping MT was just sending a message to NB that revenge is selfish and the habs don't roll that way!

[Guest Stogey24]

Taking NB out of line up for mistakes (holding puck to long and one glaring give away) would be over kill. No need to change a winning line up unless he in injured. You work with him and drive home to move the puck quicker. As far as give aways, name a player that did not have one in that incredibly fast hard hitting game. NB will be fine.

and Gilly should buy him dinner for the Diaz pass he gave him on the karllson hit.

Yea he' s doing a great job of ushering himself back in while still groggy. A quick series would benefit Max and Markov the most.

When they zoomed out you could see Karlsson lining him up. Gilbert hung Beaulieu out badly.

As bad of a game as Nate played I hate him paired with Gilbert. Beaulieu and Petry played great together, but Therrien wont be putting him in the 4 spot any time soon.

I did see Beaulieu running around a bit, but I also see a kid who's trying to make a big play to get some minutes. Now I know that's not the smartest way to go about things, but he's trying to get involved.

[ICEWATER77]

I'd go with Pateryn waaay before Gonchar..just saying. This series is far too quick and physical for Gonchar.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

We're not gonna ever score on Anderson from the point on a PP. We lost a series before thinking we could.

We should be putting Smith-Pelly and Gallagher on the same line and having them crash Anderson's net. He loses his cool with too much traffic around him. That's how every other team in the league beats him.

Next game I'd be running DSP - Eller - Gally on the PP2. Maybe even Weise instead of Gallagher. Just have them rush Anderson non-stop.

[Guest Stogey24]

I'd go with Pateryn waaay before Gonchar..just saying. This series is far too quick and physical for Gonchar.

Gotta think if Beaulieu is hurt it will be Pateryn

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I'm no expert, as my criticism of the Weise trade - so helpfully dredged up by Machine - illustrates. But it seems pretty clear that the basic problem with our PP is that the WHOLE strategy consists of trying to get Subban open for the one-timer. Everyone on the ice knows this. But it seems like a pretty low % approach; it all depends on PK getting a clear shot (preferably with traffic in front), and he's not going to unleash a perfect Howitzer every single time he does get that clear shot. And the opposition knows that everything depends on containing Subban. So we need to find 1-2 other plays as options. This would keep the opposition guessing, and ultimately improve the odds of PK's cannon being effective to boot.

I'm sure Therrien and his staff know this. Why they can't implement it is the question. It's as if PK's awesomeness just sucks everything towards itself - not unlike the way Pacioretty starts vacuuming up all of Desharnais's playmaking when those two are together. In a perverse way, it might be better to give Subban LESS PP time, just to create a situation where Petry, Markov, and all the rest of the unit start asserting themselves more and thinking outside that box.

[IN THE HEARTS OF MEN]

exactly how much faster is pateryn then gonchar? personally i want beaulieau to stay in the line up but if he can't go most certainly we will see gonchar. of course i could be wrong but i just can't see MT making 2 moves on the back end to replace beaulieau, as moving gilbert to his off wing in a series that has this many hits would result in that many more mistakes.. imagine gilbert on the left trying to move the puck in the same fashion with this tight a forecheck? he's already turning the puck over! sergei will bring with him a calmness and ability to frustrate the sens by moving the puck quickly and accurately out. its the best way to slow down the hitting and strong forecheck. clean stick to sick passes out the zone and gaining speed in the neutral zone. thats me though...

i think in a series like this its not about how fast you are but how willing you are to take that big hit.... and still make a play!!

[habs rule]

Well that was a very interesting game. I have not been down on Gilbert till last night, 2 giveaways in front of Price and the pass to Beaulieu. I would like to bring Pateryn in to replace either Gilbert or Beaulieu if he is injured. Maybe bring the Gonch and Pateryn in if Beaulieu is injured. Gonch is fully rested by now. Markov is tired, a lot of us have been saying from the begining of the season that he can't play the minutes he did in regular season and still be effective in the playoffs. Le Genius is going to make me a fan of his yet, I don't know how he comes up with the line combinations that work but he does. That magic blender works. Now if he could just remember what a powerplay is, cause we could sure use one. This could have been a blow out with a powerplay. Patches is still feeling the effects of that "upper body injury that required tinted shield etc". Wiese what a trade! If nothing else his play has shown just how stupid and arrogant the idiot known as Tortarella is. He is good entertainment, but really a shitty coach. Like Iron Mike, very limited life span as coach. I, like a lot of people, have been waiting for the MT blowup that we all thought for sure was coming, but I have to admit he has shown great resolve and patience of all things. Maybe MB keeps a close eye on him. The hit by Karlson was a hit to the head as the replay very clearly shows, not intentional but would have been a suspension last year. But then last year Shanahan would have suspended PK, so call it even. Amazing how the league office has changed from when Shanahan was there. It seems like you can get away with a lot more now than you could before. Any way on to the next game, and let's bring our brooms.