Ann 2Game 27 Review: Canadiens Dominate Flames 4-1 (Highlights Video Included)
December 13th 2008 23:16
Before the Montreal Canadiens' first game of the season against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, ex-Flames Alex Tanguay and Roman Hamrlik both put up $5,000 dollars as bounty for a Canadiens' victory. I don't know if the money motivated the Habs, but they put up one of their best performances to convincingly defeat the Flames 4-1.
For this occasion, Guy Carbonneau used Alex Tanguay with Alex Kovalev and Robert Lang in order to let the talented winger express himself on the ice with two talented linemates. Before that game, Tanguay was confined to the third line with Tomas Plekanec and Tom Kostopoulos, two who haven't been putting up points in quite a while. The newly formed line was the best on the ice as they accounted for seven points including two goals and five assists. Robert Lang grabbed his double in the Canadiens shirt, his first since 2007, becoming in the process the first Montreal forward to get ten goals. Not bad for a player who was seen as washed up, too slow, and nothing more than a Plan B when the Canadiens failed to land Sundin. Meanwhile Alex Kovalev prolonged his goal drought, but signaled himself with two assists. Lang and Kovalev seem to have switched roles with the winger becoming the set-up man while the center scores. Indeed, Kovalev now has 16 assists, getting him on the 20 points mark.
Calgary's lone goal of the match was scored by Dustin Boyd after a lack of communication between defenseman Andrei Markov and Maxim Lapierre as the Russian joined an offensive rush without having Lapierre realizing it. The ensuing play led to a 2-on-1 as Jarome Iginla delivered a superb pass to Boyd. At that point, the score was 2-1 for the Canadiens. Matt D'Agostini had scored two minutes earlier by easily beating Miika Kiprusoff on a breakaway. Lang then gave back the two-goal lead to his team with his second of the game after some nice work by Kovalev behind the Calgary net. Andrei Markov finished things up with his fifth of the season in the third period.
My 3 Stars:
3. Alex Tanguay
2. Alex Kovalev
1. Robert Lang
For this occasion, Guy Carbonneau used Alex Tanguay with Alex Kovalev and Robert Lang in order to let the talented winger express himself on the ice with two talented linemates. Before that game, Tanguay was confined to the third line with Tomas Plekanec and Tom Kostopoulos, two who haven't been putting up points in quite a while. The newly formed line was the best on the ice as they accounted for seven points including two goals and five assists. Robert Lang grabbed his double in the Canadiens shirt, his first since 2007, becoming in the process the first Montreal forward to get ten goals. Not bad for a player who was seen as washed up, too slow, and nothing more than a Plan B when the Canadiens failed to land Sundin. Meanwhile Alex Kovalev prolonged his goal drought, but signaled himself with two assists. Lang and Kovalev seem to have switched roles with the winger becoming the set-up man while the center scores. Indeed, Kovalev now has 16 assists, getting him on the 20 points mark.
Calgary's lone goal of the match was scored by Dustin Boyd after a lack of communication between defenseman Andrei Markov and Maxim Lapierre as the Russian joined an offensive rush without having Lapierre realizing it. The ensuing play led to a 2-on-1 as Jarome Iginla delivered a superb pass to Boyd. At that point, the score was 2-1 for the Canadiens. Matt D'Agostini had scored two minutes earlier by easily beating Miika Kiprusoff on a breakaway. Lang then gave back the two-goal lead to his team with his second of the game after some nice work by Kovalev behind the Calgary net. Andrei Markov finished things up with his fifth of the season in the third period.
My 3 Stars:
3. Alex Tanguay
2. Alex Kovalev
1. Robert Lang
| 52 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog
