Ann 2Game 58 Review: Canadiens' Powerplay Rises From The Ashes But Capitals Win 4-3 In Shootout
February 22nd 2009 01:51
Down and out, Ovechkin still manages to score
However, it was the omission of Kovalev in the team's near-future plans that rattled the players. Gainey was essentially telling them that you can have all the talent in the world but if you play like crap, you get sent home.
Against the Washington Capitals, the message seemed loud and clear. The team that played against one of the emerging powers of the East was a far cry from the squad that were humiliated against both Calgary and Edmonton. The Canadiens look re-energized, and for the first time this season you could tell that the players were all pushing in the same direction.
Another unbelievable event happened: the Montreal Canadiens finally scored on the powerplay. Even better, they scored three times with the extra-man advantage in one single game – a remarkable progress from the time when they might have simply refused the powerplay given its pathetic state of ineffectiveness.
But the Capitals were simply too tough for the Habs. Alex Ovechkin scored a beauty halfway through the first period to tie the game at 1-1. Three minutes later, Nicklas Backstrom scored on the powerplay to make it 2-1 Washington. After that, the Canadiens took control of the match via their powerplay. But one second of inattention by Maxime Lapierre in the dying minutes of the game led to David Steckel's equalizer, tying the teams at 3-3.
The overtime period was one of the best that I've seen in a long time with end-to-end action and great saves by both netminders. But in the shootout, Carey Price was beaten twice while Theodore stoned both Plekanec and Markov to give his team another two points.
The Canadiens can take comfort in the loser point they got, but you can't help but think what would've happened had Lapierre won that faceoff or properly covered his guy instead of following the puck. It was one of their best game in a long time especially for Plekanec who stopped Ovechkin dead cold in the final seconds of the game. Just five seconds more, and the Czech centre could have given the win to the Canadiens as he only had one defensemen to pass before coming face-to-face with Theodore.
My 3 Stars:
3. Alexander Ovechkin
2. Andrei Kostitsyn
1. Andrei Markov
| 57 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog
