Ann 2Game 36 Review: Canadiens Defeat Lightning 2-1 In Shootout
January 1st 2009 20:24
Against a team playing its second game in two days – third game in four nights – coach Rick Tocchet of the Tampa Bay Lightning had a simple gameplan: exert intense pressure on the Montreal Canadiens and prevent them from using their speed. The result was an overly physical first period in which both teams earned four penalties each including a five-minute caution for fighting. During that period, several of Montreal's players disappeared from the play, afraid of getting crushed into the boards. Those players include Sergei Kostitsyn, Tomas Plekanec, Robert Lang, and Ben Maxwell (though in Maxwell's case, he hasn't been able to keep up since he was called up). At the first intermission, the Habs were trailing 1-0 after a Lightning powerplay goal, and had lost Alex Tanguay for the rest of the game due to a separated shoulder.
The Canadiens got in gear in the second period, but Mike Smith's play in and around Tampay's net left the visitors bewildered which explains their 0-for-6 result on powerplay opportunities. Mike Smith is a very mobile netminder, acting almost like a third defenseman. On Tuesday night, his mobility enabled the Lightning skaters to stand up at the blue line and force the Canadiens to dump the puck behind Tampa's net in order to penetrate the zone. The problem was that every time the Canadiens used that technique, the puck was intercepted by Smith who promptly set his team on a counter-attack. When the Lightning played shorthanded, he was instrumental in clearing the puck all the way to the other end. Except for Alex Kovalev who can stickhandle his way through any defense if given the space, the Canadiens had few, if any, other options to enter the offensive zone. It didn't help that the Lightning forwards weren't shy about forechecking even on the penalty-kill, taking precious seconds away from the visitors.
Fortunately, the Habs had one line willing to fight back with body checks of their own. Maxim Lapierre, Guillaume Latendresse, and Tom Kostopoulos were a constant thorn in the side of the Lightning's defensemen. Their efforts were finally rewarded early in the third period as Guillaume Latendresse equalized the mark. From that point on, the visitors had all the momentum as Guy Carbonneau started to shuffle his lines in that period, benching the players he felt weren't working hard enough. Montreal almost scored the winner with ten seconds left to go; unfortunately, Andrei Kostitsyn's shot rattled off the crossbar after beating Smith. Robert Lang, who wasn't seen often in the third period, also had the winner at the tip of his stick in overtime but he hasn't got over his tendency to miss open nets just yet.
In the shootout, Kovalev scored the first shot for the visitors in his cool and collected way. After Lapierre scored the second, Price stopped both Prospal and Lecavalier to finish off 2008 with a win.
My 3 Stars:
3. Mike Smith
2. Maxim Lapierre
1. Carey Price
The Canadiens got in gear in the second period, but Mike Smith's play in and around Tampay's net left the visitors bewildered which explains their 0-for-6 result on powerplay opportunities. Mike Smith is a very mobile netminder, acting almost like a third defenseman. On Tuesday night, his mobility enabled the Lightning skaters to stand up at the blue line and force the Canadiens to dump the puck behind Tampa's net in order to penetrate the zone. The problem was that every time the Canadiens used that technique, the puck was intercepted by Smith who promptly set his team on a counter-attack. When the Lightning played shorthanded, he was instrumental in clearing the puck all the way to the other end. Except for Alex Kovalev who can stickhandle his way through any defense if given the space, the Canadiens had few, if any, other options to enter the offensive zone. It didn't help that the Lightning forwards weren't shy about forechecking even on the penalty-kill, taking precious seconds away from the visitors.
Fortunately, the Habs had one line willing to fight back with body checks of their own. Maxim Lapierre, Guillaume Latendresse, and Tom Kostopoulos were a constant thorn in the side of the Lightning's defensemen. Their efforts were finally rewarded early in the third period as Guillaume Latendresse equalized the mark. From that point on, the visitors had all the momentum as Guy Carbonneau started to shuffle his lines in that period, benching the players he felt weren't working hard enough. Montreal almost scored the winner with ten seconds left to go; unfortunately, Andrei Kostitsyn's shot rattled off the crossbar after beating Smith. Robert Lang, who wasn't seen often in the third period, also had the winner at the tip of his stick in overtime but he hasn't got over his tendency to miss open nets just yet.
In the shootout, Kovalev scored the first shot for the visitors in his cool and collected way. After Lapierre scored the second, Price stopped both Prospal and Lecavalier to finish off 2008 with a win.
My 3 Stars:
3. Mike Smith
2. Maxim Lapierre
1. Carey Price
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