CANADIENS vs LIGHTNING – Mar 13, 2006
INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS
This game is supposed to be a crucial game for both the Canadiens and the Lightning. Both of them are at the bottom of the pack of playoff eligible teams. In more ways this game is more crucial for the Lightning who have struggled badly since the Olympic ‘break’. Nevertheless, I don’t believe that this game is that crucial. Both teams have almost 20 games each to play so there’s lots of time for lots to happen to and/or for each team. Possibly both will be in the post-season competitions and, just as possibly, both will be watching their TVs as 16 other teams compete for the Stanley Cup. Will the Canadiens continue on their high road? Will Huet still stun the opposition? That remains to be seen.
Of note, Andre Markov is out with back spasms. Mark Streit takes his place.
FIRST PERIOD
*1 – early pressure by the Lightning
3 – Lightning penalty (Boyle – hooking)
6 – pressure by the Lightning
8 – broken play
9 – continued pressure by the Lightning
12 – very close calls by Kovalev & Koivu
13 – 9 shots on Huet so far
16 – good pressure by the Canadiens 2nd line
17 – Canadiens penalty (Streit – holding)
*the numbers are minutes indicators and are approximate.
PERIOD SUMMARY
The absence of Markov was evident at the beginning of the period. The defense struggled with the Lightning offensive pressure though they settled down as the period progressed.
The period was more or less evenly played. Shots were 9 – 7 for the Lightning, one penalty each and no scoring..
Interesting note: Mark Streit held his own very well. He had some good shots towards the nets and didn’t look worse than any other of the defenders, especially Mike Komisarek who really struggled.
SHOTS ON GOAL
– Canadiens 7 Total 7
– Lightning 9 9< /P>
SCORING
– NO GOALS
SECOND PERIOD
*10 seconds – Lightning penalty (Richards – hooking)
1 – big save by Burke on Streit
5 – small pressure by the Lightning but well contained by the Canadiens
7 – two great shots by Streit (unfortunately they hit Canadiens players)
9 – broken play
10 – Lightning penalty (Kubina – delay of game)
12 – very ineffectual Canadiens power play
12 – LIGHTNING SCORE (Lecavalier on a two-on-one)
13 – multiple penalties
13 – four on four play
14-18 – Canadiens struggled in all three zones
18 – Lightning penalty (Lecavalier – hooking)
19 – LIGHTNING SCORE (St-Louis – short-handed)
*the numbers are minutes indicators and are approximate.
PERIOD SUMMARY
This period, for the Canadiens could be called ‘THE BODYWALL’. An incredible number of Canadiens shots hit skates, legs, chests, backs, etc. and never made to Burke. No less than 24 Canadiens shots were blocked by the Lightning players alone. This doesn’t even include the shots which hit other Canadiens team mates.
Not a whole lot went right for the Habs throughout the period. Things seemed to go from bad to worse. No matter what they tried, nothing could get through. From Lecavalier’s goal on to the end of the period, it looked like a downwards slide by our team, reaching its nadir at St-Louis’ short-handed goal coming on a poor passing play choice by Huet and subsequent struggles handling of the puck by the defensemen. Even though the shots were very even, the fact that the Lightning had four penalties to the Canadiens one showed even more how things just didn’t work for our guys.
SHOTS ON GOAL
– Canadiens 7 Total 14
– Lightning 6 15
SCORING
– T.B, V. LECAVALIER (27) (V. PROSPAL, R. FEDOTENKO), 11:52
– T.B, M. ST. LOUIS (19) (F. MODIN), 19:43
THIRD PERIOD
*1 – Continued blocked shots on the Canadiens
4 – Canadiens penalty (too many men on the ice)
5 – great save by Huet
5 – Lightning penalty (Modin – hooking)
7-9 – broken play by the Canadiens with a few shots on Burke
10-14 – big pressure by the Canadiens – no results
14 – Lightning penalty (St-Louis – interference on the goalie)
16 – Lightning penalty (Sarich – delay of game)
18 – CANADIENS SCORE ((Ribeiro)
19 – Canadiens penalty (Perezhogin – tripping)
*the numbers are minutes indicators and are approximate.
PERIOD SUMMARY
The third period was one where, of necessity, the Canadiens put on more and more pressure on the Lightning as the minutes dwindled more and more. The Canadiens continued to have their shots blocked again and again. With two minutes left, Ribeiro scored when the puck made a strange bounce off the boards behind the nets, flew over the nets and Ribeiro knocked it out of the air behind Burke. Perezhogin, who still seems to struggle with hooking penalties, put any real aspirations to a Canadiens come-back. During the last minute, after Huet was pulled, there were the usual really close calls by the Canadiens with the usual result – no score
SHOTS ON GOAL
– Canadiens 18 Total 32
– Lightning 9 24
SCORING- MTL, M. RIBEIRO (14) (F. BOUILLON, A. KOVALEV), 17:38
GAME SUMMARY
This was a game of very out of the ordinary by the Canadiens in the last few weeks. Nothing worth mentioning worked except for Ribeiro’s garbage goal. On top of that, Sean Burke was hot tonight and any shot that got through to him, he was able to master, even some that were very good tests of his technique. The one goal that the Canadiens scored, a junk goal, wasn’t his fault.
This was a game to forget. This was a game which did not fit the pattern of their play and results since the Olympic break. Let’s hope that this isn’t the beginning of a downward streak. Let’s hope also that the Canadiens are able to come back like the phoenix and rise to more and more victories. Sixth place isn’t out of reach for our guys. Fifth might be a stretch but it’s attainable also.
See you on the 16h against the Hurricanes. This one should be a real big test for our guys.