Ann 2Game 31 Review: Canadiens Ground Flyers 5-2 (Highlights Video Included)
December 21st 2008 05:12
After a difficult showing against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, the Montreal Canadiens regained their form two days later by dominating the Philadelphia Flyers who were on a five-game winning streak before facing the Canadiens.
Most of the game was played in the first period as the Habs cruised to a 3-1 lead before the first intermission. Rookie Matt D'Agostini who had been quiet these past couple of games, scored his fifth of the season after a nice pass from Maxim Lapierre. Four minutes later, Sergei Kostitsyn scored on the powerplay with a beautiful shot from the point that Antero Niittymaki was unable to follow due to Guillaume Latendresse's presence in front of him. Later on, Steve Begin gave the home side a 3-0 lead that was quickly reduced by Aaron Asham 20 seconds later. If there's one thing the Flyers had going for them in that period was their positioning in the slot. They often surprised the Canadiens' defense with a pass from behind Jaroslav Halak's net that went straight to one of their teammates parked only a few feet away from the netminder.
The Canadiens regained their three-goal lead in the second period as Alex Kovalev scored his seventh of the season (his second in two games) on a perfect pass by Steve Begin that sent the Russian winger on a breakaway. But the Flyers reduced the gap once again in the third period, and were slowly inching their way to another goal until Guy Carbonneau called for a time-out after and icing call. A few minutes after the break, a violent shot by Asham fractured a pane of glass above the boards right behind Halak's net. Fortunately for the spectators, the glass didn't break, and it took six minutes for the maintenance crew to repair the damage and put in a new glass. The two consecutive stoppage of play had the effect of cooling down Philly's momentum. The game completely slipped out of their hand when they picked up a penalty late in the final period where the Habs scored their fifth of the night via Guillaume Latendresse.
It was a good game overall for the Canadiens – not a great one. The first period really set the mark for the final scoreline since the Habs were able to capitalize on their opportunities while the Flyers weren't playing their best hockey. Kovalev had another strong game, but the good news is that the powerplay went 2-for-6, there is sign of life after all. The game also celebrated the return of Mike Komisarek to the blueline after a month of absence due to injury. The Habs' most physically dominant player looked like he hadn't missed a thing, getting back to his body-checking, shot-blocking ways in no time. The bad news is that the Canadiens lost another important part of their attack in Andrei Kostitsyn who went down with a lower-body injury in the second period. With both Saku Koivu and Andrei Kostitsyn out, the Habs are missing some important pieces to their attack. The rest of the players better step up to compensate.
My 3 Stars:
3. Steve Begin
2. Sergei Kostitsyn
1. Guillaume Latendresse
Most of the game was played in the first period as the Habs cruised to a 3-1 lead before the first intermission. Rookie Matt D'Agostini who had been quiet these past couple of games, scored his fifth of the season after a nice pass from Maxim Lapierre. Four minutes later, Sergei Kostitsyn scored on the powerplay with a beautiful shot from the point that Antero Niittymaki was unable to follow due to Guillaume Latendresse's presence in front of him. Later on, Steve Begin gave the home side a 3-0 lead that was quickly reduced by Aaron Asham 20 seconds later. If there's one thing the Flyers had going for them in that period was their positioning in the slot. They often surprised the Canadiens' defense with a pass from behind Jaroslav Halak's net that went straight to one of their teammates parked only a few feet away from the netminder.
The Canadiens regained their three-goal lead in the second period as Alex Kovalev scored his seventh of the season (his second in two games) on a perfect pass by Steve Begin that sent the Russian winger on a breakaway. But the Flyers reduced the gap once again in the third period, and were slowly inching their way to another goal until Guy Carbonneau called for a time-out after and icing call. A few minutes after the break, a violent shot by Asham fractured a pane of glass above the boards right behind Halak's net. Fortunately for the spectators, the glass didn't break, and it took six minutes for the maintenance crew to repair the damage and put in a new glass. The two consecutive stoppage of play had the effect of cooling down Philly's momentum. The game completely slipped out of their hand when they picked up a penalty late in the final period where the Habs scored their fifth of the night via Guillaume Latendresse.
It was a good game overall for the Canadiens – not a great one. The first period really set the mark for the final scoreline since the Habs were able to capitalize on their opportunities while the Flyers weren't playing their best hockey. Kovalev had another strong game, but the good news is that the powerplay went 2-for-6, there is sign of life after all. The game also celebrated the return of Mike Komisarek to the blueline after a month of absence due to injury. The Habs' most physically dominant player looked like he hadn't missed a thing, getting back to his body-checking, shot-blocking ways in no time. The bad news is that the Canadiens lost another important part of their attack in Andrei Kostitsyn who went down with a lower-body injury in the second period. With both Saku Koivu and Andrei Kostitsyn out, the Habs are missing some important pieces to their attack. The rest of the players better step up to compensate.
My 3 Stars:
3. Steve Begin
2. Sergei Kostitsyn
1. Guillaume Latendresse
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