2008 NHL Playoffs - Round 2: Montreal Canadiens vs. Philadelphia Flyers Game 3 REVIEW
April 29th 2008 21:13
Flyers top Habs 3-2 to take series' lead.
This is getting ridiculous, really. I don't know which is worse, the Habs' inability to score despite their total domination over Philly, or the Flyers scoring three goals in only twelve shots.
Seriously, though, what is wrong with the best offense in the league? Higgins can't score even though he tries so hard. Kovalev and Markov both hit the post. The brothers K. couldn't get going. With Latendresse in the lineup, the grinders line was broken. As a consequence, they weren't as effective in the O-zone as previous games. Streit was once again a no-show and now, even Brisebois' most ardent detractors can't wait to have him back in the lineup. The Habs spent almost half the game in the powerplay, but only scored twice. By then, it was already too late as the Canadiens were trailing by three goals. They only needed one more. Alas, Martin Biron seems to have hidden countless horseshoes in his equipment and the Habs just couldn't get that goal.
Defensively, the Habs were okay. However, something is terribly wrong with Carey Price. He is simply not the same goalie. The Iceman seems to have turned into a puddle of water and he's not as confident as before. Martin Biron, on the other hand, gains confidence with every lucky saves he makes. If this is some sort of a cosmic joke, it definitely has run its time and this is just not funny anymore.
There's really nothing I can say about the Flyers. They buried their opportunities that they had. But they're also one of the most indisciplined team in the league. With nutcases such as Downie and Hatcher taking penalty after penalty, it's a shame that the Habs couldn't capitalize on their chances.
Now, the Habs have to win Game 4. There's a lot of speculation about who will be the starting goalie. I think that Carbo will go with Price. If he gives bad goals, so be it. He's the number one netminder. The offense simply has to score to give him some sort of cushion. Even if he has a clean sheet, it won't account for anything if his forwards can't score. One thing I'm worried about is Kovalev. In tight situations, he likes to things by himself instead of playing as a team. It was apparent last night after Higgins missed an open net, Kovy wouldn't pass him the puck anymore, relying on Koivu instead. The same thing happened in the Boston series, Kovalev playing with two young players (Plekanec and Andrei K.) passed the puck only when he had no other options. He has to trust his younger teammates for the team to be successful.
This is getting ridiculous, really. I don't know which is worse, the Habs' inability to score despite their total domination over Philly, or the Flyers scoring three goals in only twelve shots.
Seriously, though, what is wrong with the best offense in the league? Higgins can't score even though he tries so hard. Kovalev and Markov both hit the post. The brothers K. couldn't get going. With Latendresse in the lineup, the grinders line was broken. As a consequence, they weren't as effective in the O-zone as previous games. Streit was once again a no-show and now, even Brisebois' most ardent detractors can't wait to have him back in the lineup. The Habs spent almost half the game in the powerplay, but only scored twice. By then, it was already too late as the Canadiens were trailing by three goals. They only needed one more. Alas, Martin Biron seems to have hidden countless horseshoes in his equipment and the Habs just couldn't get that goal.
Defensively, the Habs were okay. However, something is terribly wrong with Carey Price. He is simply not the same goalie. The Iceman seems to have turned into a puddle of water and he's not as confident as before. Martin Biron, on the other hand, gains confidence with every lucky saves he makes. If this is some sort of a cosmic joke, it definitely has run its time and this is just not funny anymore.
There's really nothing I can say about the Flyers. They buried their opportunities that they had. But they're also one of the most indisciplined team in the league. With nutcases such as Downie and Hatcher taking penalty after penalty, it's a shame that the Habs couldn't capitalize on their chances.
Now, the Habs have to win Game 4. There's a lot of speculation about who will be the starting goalie. I think that Carbo will go with Price. If he gives bad goals, so be it. He's the number one netminder. The offense simply has to score to give him some sort of cushion. Even if he has a clean sheet, it won't account for anything if his forwards can't score. One thing I'm worried about is Kovalev. In tight situations, he likes to things by himself instead of playing as a team. It was apparent last night after Higgins missed an open net, Kovy wouldn't pass him the puck anymore, relying on Koivu instead. The same thing happened in the Boston series, Kovalev playing with two young players (Plekanec and Andrei K.) passed the puck only when he had no other options. He has to trust his younger teammates for the team to be successful.
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