Ann 2Game 43 Review: Canadiens Barely Top Predators With 3-2 Win (Highlights Video Included)
January 18th 2009 23:20
After an intense, challenging game in Boston, many people in Montreal were wondering if the Canadiens would be motivated against the Nashville Predators – a Western Conference club that Montreal doesn't get to see all that often. In their only meeting last season, the Canadiens saw a 4-1 lead evaporate right in front of their eyes to finally lose the game 5-4 in a shootout with ex-Hab Radek Bonk scoring both the late equalizer and the winning penalty shot.
The teams' unfamiliarity with each other lead to a quiet first period in which they did nothing more than studying their opponent (a fight opposing Jordin Tootoo to Steve Begin saw the Montreal grinder getting pummeled by Nashville's tough guy). Guillaume Latendresse gave a one-goal lead to Montreal with a bit more than thirty seconds left in the period. The Predators equalized early in the second when J.P. Dumont deflected Kevin Klein's shot from the point. Two minutes later, the Habs took the lead once again with a powerplay goal by Andrei Kostitsyn from a superb cross-ice pass by Andrei Markov. The play was vintage Markov, and also a sign that the Preds hadn't bothered studying the Canadiens' powerplay. Every team in the East knows that Markov always looks to make a cross-ice to set up a one-timer by either Andrei Kostitsyn, Alex Kovalev or Tomas Plekanec. That time, it worked, and the Preds' defense was caught completely flat-footed. Montreal added to their lead when an attempted cross-ice pass from Markov to Sergei Kostitsyn took a double deflection an ended up in the net one minute into the third period. Five minutes later, the visitors cut the Canadiens' lead to one via Vernon Fiddler, but this time, they didn't have enough to complete the comeback even though they pressured the Habs' defense.
This review is a bit short simply because the game itself wasn't very interesting. The Canadiens had only 20 shots on goal, only two in the entire second period, both by Andrei Kostitsyn, one of which was a goal. The Predators had 25. This must give an idea of what kind of game it was. After a quiet night in Boston, Alex Kovalev was explosive, getting some life in the building by making his stickhandling magic. It's too bad he couldn't score to top off the night.
My 3 Stars:
3. Andrei Kostitsyn
2. Robert Lang
1. Andrei Markov
The teams' unfamiliarity with each other lead to a quiet first period in which they did nothing more than studying their opponent (a fight opposing Jordin Tootoo to Steve Begin saw the Montreal grinder getting pummeled by Nashville's tough guy). Guillaume Latendresse gave a one-goal lead to Montreal with a bit more than thirty seconds left in the period. The Predators equalized early in the second when J.P. Dumont deflected Kevin Klein's shot from the point. Two minutes later, the Habs took the lead once again with a powerplay goal by Andrei Kostitsyn from a superb cross-ice pass by Andrei Markov. The play was vintage Markov, and also a sign that the Preds hadn't bothered studying the Canadiens' powerplay. Every team in the East knows that Markov always looks to make a cross-ice to set up a one-timer by either Andrei Kostitsyn, Alex Kovalev or Tomas Plekanec. That time, it worked, and the Preds' defense was caught completely flat-footed. Montreal added to their lead when an attempted cross-ice pass from Markov to Sergei Kostitsyn took a double deflection an ended up in the net one minute into the third period. Five minutes later, the visitors cut the Canadiens' lead to one via Vernon Fiddler, but this time, they didn't have enough to complete the comeback even though they pressured the Habs' defense.
My 3 Stars:
3. Andrei Kostitsyn
2. Robert Lang
1. Andrei Markov
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