Habs 4, Jets 1: Newfoundland!

Great glorious Newfoundland! Thank you for Michael Ryder. Sure he'd be the last person I'd put in a shootout, despite being a sniper. And if you're counting on him to play some defence you'll be very disappointed. And no one's asking him to skate like the wind. But he's done everything else right eh?

He's so awesome he even threw a first star puck down the corridor into a bucket.

Bounce back
- We knew Budaj was taking today's game 'cause his family is in town. Some people missed that memo.
- Apparently his mom didn't want to watch live in the Bell Centre. I can understand how nervous she might be watching him play.
- Is it me or are the Habs sucking on purpose in their first game of a back-to-back just to play well in the 2nd game.
- Point all you want to the open man, Drewiske. No one is listening.
- Remember when Habs fired Perry Pearn, and all we heard was how his teams never missed the playoffs and his powerplay/penalty kill plans are fantastic?
- Galchenyuk did his best Malkin. All he didn't do was score but oh my god that sweet little move was gorgeous.
- Lars Eller will really miss the Jets once they move to the West. And I still qualify that goal his, not Gionta's inner thigh.
- Lars Eller was extra beastly on the penalty kill.
- PK broke a piece off the scoreboard. Now that's impressive!
- Don't look now but Blake Wheeler just went offside again.
- Someone give Dustin Byfuglien a poke. I'm not sure if he's awake or not.
- Go ahead, Jets. Trade Burmistrov. Enjoy future years of regret.
- Galchenyuk scored a goal after taking 3 laps around the Jets' zone.
- Evander Kane needs a cup of camomile. You're a hockey player. If a defensive shove is all you need to flip out, you might want to change professions.
- And good on you ripping Emelin's helmet off to fling it at him, missing, while you fight a non-fighter with your visor firmly on your face. Enjoy your 10 minute misconduct.
- And I won't hold my breath on a suspension. Maybe a fine. Maybe nothing.
- PK's point sheet reads 10-20-30. So tidy!

The Southeast is so weak that with this loss (their 5th in a row!), the terrible Washington Capitals are currently in 3rd. We can officially call them the Winnipeg Threshers.

Habs 3, Thrashers 1 Bullshit Goal: Rrrrrrrroll up the rim to win

Finally.

Apparently Benoit Pouliot won a doughnut when he rolled up the rim of his Tim Horton's coffee. The players put it on the board for the guy who broke the drought. The puck walks through Pavelec and sits in the blue paint. Scramble. Cammy actually HITS the post. Hamr smacks it in.

Enjoy that doughnut, Hamr.

Eleven seconds later, Darche scores. Maybe he'll get some Timbits.

This should have been a shutout. Frankly it should have an asterix on it. Brutal officiating on a high stick on Hal Gill with all four guys looking at the play. It was the fucking PUCK CARRIER! Also, it's HAL FUCKING GILL!!! You call a bullshit dive on PK when he was spun like a top with a stick wrapped around his waist but you all stand mum on that?! Disgusting. They even had a long conversation amongst themselves over it.

Lucky AK46 got the empty netter. (Solid effort for it, shot a perfect shot from his blue line). Shit would have flown onto the ice, last game or not, McReally. Yea the team is classy enough to shake your hand, but the crowd would have eaten you alive at center ice if that bullshit goal was the key to losing this game. Especially with how well the Habs were playing once they broke the ice.

Only issue... Hello coaching staff? What the fuck are you doing with the power play? PK paired with Wiz = GOALS. Stop with the stupidity and watch the video. Pretty much every goal on the PP that involves either PK or Wiz, they were paired together. Stop trying to sabotage your team already. PK's powerplay ice time was ridiculously low, and I swear he was paired with Mara.

Someone needs to stop pissing in Evander Kane's cereal.

This game may have had a doughnut on the line, but Carey Price should get a dozen. The Thrashers would have had a 3-0 lead in the first five minutes if not for him...

Habs 3, T(h)rashers 1, Price 40, The System 1

My what empty seats you have, Atlanta...

Sometimes I think it's sad there's more people who jump out of their seats to cheer when the visiting team scores. Then I remembered who the Habs were playing. So fuck it. Hope you like Winnipeg, Evander.

Perhaps the move will shut up guys like Anthony Stewart, who's ridiculous crosscheck on VETERAN OLD MAN HAMR after he shoveled the puck to the corner once the end-of-period whistle blew because he raged it was a slapshot at him. And they say PK is disrespectful? For one if Hamr COULD muscle a slapshot, he'd actually be a danger. The fact is your statement rings the bells of sour grapes as Hamr can't physically slap the puck enough to get any velocity on it.

Stewart's probably just angry Cage Face made him pay for it.

Down at the Opry: Carey Price, center stage. Flu be gone, 40 saves, first star. Didn't seem too pissed he lost a shutout bid. That's win number 29!

Hammer Horror special: Coach Ramsay looks like he belongs on Mummies Alive. And what's up with the 5-man forecheck?

EA Sports mispronunciation: Pacioretty IS the power forward this team's been looking for. And he's a REAL power forward. Not those "goons" they call power forwards, or that pillowy soft Penner... Two strides and he's down the ice already. That backhand usually works too.

BOOM: Yes they were outhit and outshot, but did you see any effective hits like the sequence where White went to hit on the forecheck that setup Mara for a perfect open-ice hit which turned over the puck and set up Desharnais for a scoring chance that was negated by the Thrashers taking a penalty on him? It's more about what you do with it that counts more than the stats.

Remember which side you're on: Momentary lapse on Sopel's part to suicide pass the puck that led to Antropov's goal.

You suck: Always a special place reserved for the officials right here. Especially the official who pushed Desharnais over. We know who you're rooting for. Also hey O'Halloran? WHAT IS INTERFERENCE?!

Too many men: Only a problem in hockey.

Trust: Joined at the hip, Gomez totally knew Gio would get that weaksauce clearing pass of his for the empty netter.

I see someone's got a funny bone: The match up was Eller vs Maxwell. Hi, I'm the guy who stole your job. You mad bro?

Backhand to the empty net.
The Captain delivers.
Two points in the bank.
Off to Florida they go.

V 2, A 1 (SO): Aliens, I'm sure of it

So now you guys decide to play defence? (Until you forgot in the 3rd period which was why Army scored, of all people). Though I don't know what's more disturbing: the fact the 4-1 T(h)rashers looked completely opposite from the team that made Brodeur look silly, or the fact the Habs could only really score one against such a muddy defensive coverage while keeping the thrashers to 12 shots for 40 minutes. I also find it disturbing that every open net ended up with a post, and that Jaro kept looking behind him even when the puck never got to him...

My only conclusion: V!

That's right. The Habs are really some strange group of reptilian aliens hiding under a human skin seeking control of our world by trying to integrate themselves into our society via our fascination with hockey. Check your pets!

Look out! Or not! The Habs can't shoot straight!

Meanwhile Jaro could have taken a lunch break for 40 minutes and the outcome would have probably stayed the same.

My theory of aliens having taken over the team would probably answer my questions on why the Energy Line isn't very energetic these days...save for Patches, who is playing with a separated shoulder yet actually manages to cause all forms of havoc. Though the effort is wasted after the zone is lost on the next line, and forced back to defend. Yay!

Apparently the T(h)rashers like to toss people badly into the boards. Good line brawl with Lapierre dropping Army (hiss) while Bergeron wobbled into the corner. And a clearly annoyed Gomez turning and attacking after he was sent head first into the boards.

I was not pleased with the powerplay that barely had any set up save for when Pleky was out there. Towards the end of the game though it just fizzled. I was pleased with the penalty kill though, that looked better than the powerplay. Keep that up, however... as Streit and John "Back Door" Tavares are coming in next.

So the Habs Aliens can only win in overtime this year apparently. I was not happy it went to a shootout, especially with Jaro in nets (who's method is "hope and pray they miss"). However we're lucky Kovalchuk appeared out of it (he was quiet the entire game actually, which usually indicates a loss for Atlanta...7 goals in 5 games, did nothing tonight except for one shot that was aimed right for the CH on Jaro) and shot wide, and Peverley just didn't know what he was doing on the shootout (Kozlov is their shootout guy, who was out for tossing Gomez head first into the boards). Even my brother was thinking Little would be one of the shooters before Peverley. Seriously? Gomez and Gionta > Kovy and Peverley for shootouts. Just saying.


W00T
- OK so defensively it's a little better, but the minute you forgot about it there was a goal...stop that.
- Goalies switched their water bottles for something harder: Halak's had smooth beer, Pavelec's had straight vodka.
- Guimauve, park your ass in front and SCREEN. They're not asking you to tip it wide, they want you to screen the goalie.
- I don't think I can take 1-0 games for the entire year. I also think Jaro and Price will have nervous breakdowns by December from it. Please someone else score!
- Andrei, how many times do you need to deke when you're just dumping the puck? Yes it's cool, but the puck went the other way...
- Winning goalie or not, I hold my breath whenever Jaro leaves his net to play the puck and suicide passes it to a defenceman's skates...
- Can we please win in regulation next time?
- Can we also just give Gionta the C already?