HabsWorld.net --
There was a definite tilt to the ice surface tonight and we definitely stole two points. The refs definitely didn’t show up for much of the time, but despite all that Garon definitely stole the show. This is one tired team that’s heading to
We played terribly, there’s no other way to look at it. We were soft, second to the puck, didn’t win any many battles, and relied on a goalie that was sizzling. It didn’t help, of course, to have the refs completely forget about obstruction and hooking. I couldn’t count the number of times a Hab was hooked or knocked before getting even close to the puck. Now, don’t get me wrong, the Habs weren’t innocent either, but you could tell which team was used to this kind of reffing – and it wasn’t the boys from
~~
Notes:
Garon: He reminds me of Luongo, actually. A goalie with minimal rebound control but with reflexes that are so good he can make up for it. I can’t remember how many times there was a juicy rebound in the shot which led to yet another shot – or three. At least he wasn’t over-committing himself too much; his positional game has come a long way since the beginning of the season. A-
Bouillon: He, like everyone else on the club, had a hard time dealing with a crashing and banging King club.
Brisebois: A pretty good game, all things considered. He was one I noticed least having trouble with the attack of the Kings. I guess that means his experience worked well for him on this night. B-
Quintal: Oh, but attacking him with speed works wonders, and it’s a shame the Kings don’t have much finish in that lineup. C+
Komisarek: Over ten minutes of quality work tonight. Yes, he made some mistakes, but I felt he was pretty solid. He was strong on the boards, used his body more efficiently than he has been, cleared the front of the net, and made a couple of strong passes. He even pinched once and that gave us a goal. C+
Rivet: Aside from the first King goal where he completely missed his assignment, he didn’t have a bad night. His steady play of late has been consistent and as a result he’s fairly reliable at the back. B
Markov: Anyone see the movie, “The Return of the King”? This guy is brilliant with his stick, has great positioning and wins almost everything near him – even when out-numbered. A
Langdon: Dax his him nicely at the side of the net but he just couldn’t convert! Oh the horror! He played a fairly good game, though when things started getting rough, I would have liked to have seen him getting his nose a little more dirty. B
Ward: Mostly went unnoticed on this night, sadly. But that’s because he just can’t keep up in a game like this. The speed and skating ability of the Kings left him behind somewhat and he seemed to be fighting from a step behind all night. C
Dowd: He almost scored again tonight, and he did get an assist, which means that he’s way ahead of that Kovalev guy now! Perfect game to have this type of player since he matches up well against Avery and Laperriere. Thank heavens for his presence on the PK! B+
Begin: Another goal for our recent sniper guy. Add to that his continual hustle and great hits and he had his typical game. A-
Dackell: Along the boards he was great, but he was another that I felt struggled a little tonight. The lack of space and the tighter hitting games seem to keep him a little more discreet. C+
Juneau: He had a good, not great game. Defensively he was decent, but like everyone else, had those troubles handing the feisty opponents. Had there been skill on the other team, I don’t think we’d be looking at him and saying he had a great game by any stretch. B-
Dagenais: Can’t say that I mind in the least seeing him playing under ten minutes, of course it was because Murray had the last change and put out the Avery line against his all night. I would too when you’re that dominated. D+
Ryder: Probably one of his toughest nights, though not necessarily because of what he did or didn’t do, but more a function of the line he was on. He still finished his checks and tried to make things happen, but on this night when the opposition had the puck most of the time, there wasn’t much he could do. C+
Ribeiro: He put an effort in out there, but playing against that feisty trio killed him and his linemates completely. It’s not like I think he played particularly terribly, it’s just that his defence is not strong enough to get him the puck to turn things around. C+
Perreault: Not only did he finish a few checks out there, but he actually sent someone to the ice with a hit. His goal was the result of hard work in front of the net, and there were a couple of occasions where he was really impressive. Now, this line was dominated fairly often as well, however they did manage to get a few things going. B
Zednik: That first goal he scored is the kind of goal I want to see him scoring every couple of games: a hustle goal. When he works that hard for the puck, he’s going to be successful because he’s got the skill and the strength required. His effort tonight wasn’t always consistent, but he was at least more noticeable than he has been in recent weeks. B
Koivu: Second game in a row he’s sent someone flying because of being peeved – and I like that. I know he’s been told not to do it as much, but I feel when he gets angry he gets the team going. He’s tired, and you can see it, but as this game progressed he seemed to find another gear which was great to see. B
Julien: I can’t say he was out-coached because Murray had the last change, but maybe if he spent all night chirping at the ref like Murray the refs might have realized there was a game going on out there. He was smart to keep that Ribs line to a minimum tonight because they were consistently mauled.
PP: One attempt. If the league looks at that game, they get red in the face. N/A
PK: While 75% isn’t good enough, the fact that goal came at the end when the Kings had also pulled their goalie makes it somewhat less painful. The earlier three were much better. B
Team: Manhandled on this night. But they were opportunistic, and that’s what good teams do when the going gets tough. Credit where credit is due, this is becoming a good team. B-
~~
Anaheim is next, and let’s hope and pray there’s something left in the tank so they can be competitive. We may be winning lately, but we’re not winning pretty and the way we played tonight made me think this is more a 26th place team and not one gunning for 6th in their conference. Time to dig deep and find the extra push until the schedule lets up a little.
A Concerned Fan
