Ann 22008 NHL Playoffs - Round 2: Montreal Canadiens vs. Philadelphia Flyers Game 4 REVIEW
May 1st 2008 18:46
Habs still can't score as Flyers win 3-2.
This time, the Habs were closer to their goal. So close and yet so far as Steve Bégin took an unnecessary penalty with the game tied at 2-2.
In my Game 4 preview, I had a list of objectives for the Canadiens to accomplish in order to win the game. They failed the first and most important objective of all – scoring the first goal. It started well, though (but isn't that the story of this series?). They swarmed around Biron's net, installing themselves in the Flyers' zone for long stretches of time. The Flyers often panicked, clearing the puck with the risk of provoking icings, but Biron stood tall.
After Game 1, many people observed that the Habs had scored two lucky goals to get the win. Carbo responded by saying that he'd rather be lucky 16 times as long as he wins. Well, karma's a b**ch as they say, and Carbo is now experiencing the other side of luck. I'm not saying that the Flyers are lucky. They might have been after the second game, but you don't win three games in a row by simply being lucky. The Flyers are doing what the Habs can't – capitalizing on their scoring chances.
Once again, the Habs were down 2-0 for the majority of the match. Neither side scored in the first period although Montreal had plenty of chances. The Canadiens finaly got their break late in the third period as defenseman Josh Georges fired off a harmless shot at Biron's net. The puck deflected twice – once on a Philly defenseman and the second time on Plekanec's stick – before ending its course at the back of the net. 37 seconds later, Saku Koivu equalized the mark off a rebound. Then, all hopes came crashing down when Bégin checked a Flyers forward onto the boards. The attacking player didn't have control of the puck when Bégin hit him and so the Habs' grinder was penalized with five minutes left to go in the game. The Flyers didn't waste their chance and scored the winning goal on the powerplay. And as if karma wasn't enough, it was Danny Brière who scored the winning goal.
Now the Habs go back home, trailing 3-1 in this series. They came back from a 3-1 deficit only once in their history. It was in 2004. The coach was Claude Julien (now with Boston). Like I said – karma.
Additional notes: Carbo will probably whip out his lucky tie on Saturday but, honestly, I don't think they'll go through to the second round. Even if they do, The Penguins will rip them apart. This team is young and inexperienced. As the game wore on, I could tell that the playoffs rookies (namely the K. brothers) stopped believing that they could score on Biron. Breaking up the grinders line wasn't such a good idea since we now have two ineffective lines instead of one. Jaroslav Halak wasn't a factor. He wasn't at his best (not at his worst either) but what do you expect from a goalie who hasn't started a game in a month.
Out west, the Sharks finally grabbed a win against the Stars (score: 2-1). Dallas leads the series 3-1.
This time, the Habs were closer to their goal. So close and yet so far as Steve Bégin took an unnecessary penalty with the game tied at 2-2.
In my Game 4 preview, I had a list of objectives for the Canadiens to accomplish in order to win the game. They failed the first and most important objective of all – scoring the first goal. It started well, though (but isn't that the story of this series?). They swarmed around Biron's net, installing themselves in the Flyers' zone for long stretches of time. The Flyers often panicked, clearing the puck with the risk of provoking icings, but Biron stood tall.
After Game 1, many people observed that the Habs had scored two lucky goals to get the win. Carbo responded by saying that he'd rather be lucky 16 times as long as he wins. Well, karma's a b**ch as they say, and Carbo is now experiencing the other side of luck. I'm not saying that the Flyers are lucky. They might have been after the second game, but you don't win three games in a row by simply being lucky. The Flyers are doing what the Habs can't – capitalizing on their scoring chances.
Once again, the Habs were down 2-0 for the majority of the match. Neither side scored in the first period although Montreal had plenty of chances. The Canadiens finaly got their break late in the third period as defenseman Josh Georges fired off a harmless shot at Biron's net. The puck deflected twice – once on a Philly defenseman and the second time on Plekanec's stick – before ending its course at the back of the net. 37 seconds later, Saku Koivu equalized the mark off a rebound. Then, all hopes came crashing down when Bégin checked a Flyers forward onto the boards. The attacking player didn't have control of the puck when Bégin hit him and so the Habs' grinder was penalized with five minutes left to go in the game. The Flyers didn't waste their chance and scored the winning goal on the powerplay. And as if karma wasn't enough, it was Danny Brière who scored the winning goal.
Now the Habs go back home, trailing 3-1 in this series. They came back from a 3-1 deficit only once in their history. It was in 2004. The coach was Claude Julien (now with Boston). Like I said – karma.
Additional notes: Carbo will probably whip out his lucky tie on Saturday but, honestly, I don't think they'll go through to the second round. Even if they do, The Penguins will rip them apart. This team is young and inexperienced. As the game wore on, I could tell that the playoffs rookies (namely the K. brothers) stopped believing that they could score on Biron. Breaking up the grinders line wasn't such a good idea since we now have two ineffective lines instead of one. Jaroslav Halak wasn't a factor. He wasn't at his best (not at his worst either) but what do you expect from a goalie who hasn't started a game in a month.
Out west, the Sharks finally grabbed a win against the Stars (score: 2-1). Dallas leads the series 3-1.
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