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Game 61: Habs win on miraculous comeback
posted by Dave Stubbs at 23h13 EST on Feb 19
The win kept the Canadiens in a tie with Ottawa atop the NHL Eastern Conference with 75 points, although the Senators are listed first because they have more wins and a game in hand. Ottawa beat the hapless Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in a shootout tonight.
If the Canadiens owned Philadelphia this season, having swept the Flyers 4-0 in their series, the Rangers came into tonight’s game having beaten Montreal three times this year and seeking their first series sweep of the Habs since 2001-02.
The Rangers exploded for two first-period goals within a breath of each other. Brandon Dubinsky opened the scoring at 8:50 with a hard snap shot from the edge of the faceoff circle past the right pad of Carey Price, and off the draw, the Rangers rushed again, Sean Avery sneaking in behind a disorganized Canadiens defence to bang one past Price for the 2-0 lead at 9:04.
The bleeding didn’t soon stop. Shanahan made it 3-0 at 13:56, on the power play from close range, Kovalev having been sent off 15 seconds earlier for high-sticking.
That goal marked the end of an 11-shot night’s work for Price, who yielded the crease to Huet.
Montreal showed promise early in the second, but a four-minute high-sticking penalty to Christopher Higgins at 2:44 quickly deepened the hole, Shanahan scoring his second of the night at 4:35.
And then it was 5-0, Drury whipping home the Rangers’ fifth at 5:03 from in close during the second of Higgins’s minors. That was New York’s 10th unanswered goal on Montreal ice since 28 minutes into the teams’ most recent Bell Centre game on Feb. 3.
Ryder finally gave the home fans something to cheer about, taking a nice pass from Streit to rifle home his 10th of the season and second in as many games, beating Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist at 8:28.
Ryder, again, brought the crowd to its feet at 12:52, drilling in his second of the night off another pass from Streit. Good work by Maxim Lapierre and defenceman Ryan O’Byrne did the spadework on this one.
Fourteen minutes of goalless hockey evaporated with two lightning-fast Canadiens goals, Kovalev and Streit, deflecting in a Ryder shot that for a time looked like a hat-trick for the Newfoundlander, scoring at 6:43 and 6:52 of the third, practically bringing down the Bell Centre roof.
And then, the improbable/impossible: Kovalev’s second of the night on the power-play, a one-timer from his favourite faceoff-circle spot at 15:38, tied the game at 5-5. It was his 29th of the season. To a thrilling overtime, then the shootout.
History made, fans delirious, coaches drained. We'll be critiquing the highs and lows of this one for months.
Share the agony and ecstasy of Habs fandom and read live blogs from every game with Gazette columnist Mike Boone.
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What the hell?
Mathias Brunet
La Presse
Rien ne nous permet pour l’instant de confirmer qu’une transaction entre le Canadien et les Thrashers d’Atlanta est conclue, mais La Presse a appris, hier, qu’on avait commandé de l’équipement aux couleurs de la formation montréalaise pour l’attaquant vedette de 29 ans, Marian Hossa.
for ryder and Streit apparently
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20080220/CPSPORTS0101/80220288/6488/CP...
The article also mentions jerseys were made for aucoin and khabibulin two years ago in a deal that did not get done.
Didn't know we were about to trade ribeiro dagenais theodore for khabibulin and aucoin until he broke his ankle the day before the announcement two years ago. That would've been interesting had it gone through, it might have actually been a really good move (certainly better than the trades that ended up being made) if not for bad luck. Aucoin is doing really well in Calgary this season. http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/players/1288/career;_ylt=At4RG_r88wekPB8xlIa...
But that's the past, as for the immediate present...
If this story is indeed true let's hope Hossa doesn't trip and get that dreaded "high ankle sprain"
Ok everyone, Hossa is coming to montreal..cyberpresse is reporting that equipement and jerseys for hossa have been ordered in the evening so that it would be ready for tomorrow's game !!!!!!!!!
a-w-e-s-o-m-e
Bob will do what is best for this team.I have complete trust in this man and the team he has around him (eg.Gauthier and Timmins).Many feel that the Habs will pick up Tanguay but, I think that they will go after Jokinen from Florida.We will soon see!Go Habs Go!!!
Last night was just absolutely brilliant. For any pro team in any sport, let alone the boys from my home town playing hockey. The way this went, well, sigh. One of my colleagues is now "annoyed" at I-Tunes because he can't load it yet for his relatives to show in Italia. Va bene.
You can try to contextualize or position this game in history but actually this is now. Fortuitously (sort of), I have watched most of the great games that the Habs have played over the last 35 years on tv and even several times in person, including all the ones that will be obviously advanced by experts to rival or equal. The only 2 games -- or actually moments -- that rate to me are Lemaire-to-Lafleur (poor old Gilles Gilbert) and St Patrick vs. Rangers overtime. Yes, I saw the 5-1 to 7-5 game, and several more. Hmmm.
Meanwhile, the trade rumours persist to the extent that my son actually e-mailed me with his version(s).
I think many Habs fans worry about this because we know that there is magic happening on team spirit. You saw them. They were grinning and growling.... way too much having fun (hah). And my version of "Lions in Winter" is signed by Rocket.
Chemistry is very touchy. The boys could maybe use a piece, but they are now thinking that they can beat anybody. Yup, for sure anybody in the East. For example, if we could get Sundin -- I still remember the Nordiques series and the screaming, who says he won't play for us -- we walk up an carve les gars on the Cup. But a rental? Unless the GM has an understanding? Hey, Finns and Swedes are not natural allies, but who knows what a Cup could bring......
Don't know about the West, don't see the way they play.
My view for what it is worth:
Stay with what we have, i.e., no new big pieces unless it is a Godfather.
Get a really good bruiser -- certainly not a psycho -- but a young lad with hands both ways, there are a few of these.
Sign No. 4 in the summer and even deny that you have spoken together like most deals.
Go habs go
PS.
Hey coach, please be very careful who you play or do not play (20, 71)
It's Wednesday night and almost 24 hours after our victory over the New York Rangers....and I'm still reliving and remembering the game in my brain than going to bed with my wife!
"We will win the Cup only with Carey Price in the nets"
Funny that we play our best without Bobs three free agents, Brisebois, Kostops and Smolinki, lets keep away from rentals for awhile.
Bob's free agent signings have done exactly what was expected of them: hold the fort until the youngsters were ready to take their place. It looks like we're ready to witness the Changing of the Guard. Even though that may be so, don't discount the importance of the veterans that provided the stability necessary to allow the kids to grow into their roles.
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"All bow down before the Komisaurus Rex!"
We have finally two scoring lines, Kovy's line and Ryder's line. Strait turned out to be a perfect set-up man for Ryder. With Lapierre creating traffics all over the ice, Carbo has created a very effective line.
Memories of Kostopoulos on the first line are just fading...And Guy didn't change up all the lines after the first period...Maybe he is learning on the job. Great game!
we shall file that memory right along side the trevor linden experiment.different era, same result.
If the chemistry is good then I hope Gainey doesn't screw with the team but if the chance for a Stanley Cup run is there too then maybe an 'impact' player might be needed but I think chemistry is most important for Cup wins and we got it, man, these guys enjoy playing with one another so it's a hard one... I wouldn't want to Bob Gainey in the next little while... or maybe I would.
I agree with all the points Hab Professor and Riverview have mentioned. I would be sorry to see anyone go. I admit it would be awesome to see Hossa in a habs jersey, but what if he doesn't fit in? And who are we going to have to give away? I really hope it is not Higgins. I don't want to see anyone leave, really.
By the way, I was at the game last night. I think I may just frame my ticket. So depressing, and then all of a sudden, a comeback. Wow. I was wide awake until 1:30 am. I just hope the next game will be just as exciting, only I don't really want to see another comeback, too much anxiety for me, lol. I swear I was feverish starting in the third period, I was so nervous that they wouldn't tie it and then so nervous they would blow it all over again. lol.
Some more photos from last night's game courtesy of La Presse:
http://galeriedephotos.cyberpresse.ca/index.php?t=Black&a=4393&m=cp
Nice photos, but why didn't anyone snap a picture of Kovalev on his back after scoring the tying goal? I can't seem to find one.
OH you want THAT one.. sure, that's just not part of this set:
http://www.gettyimages.com/Search/Search.aspx?src=quick&contractUrl=1&fa...
Aha! Tak sa mycket! Nu du är min bästa vän!!
you're welcome! (Varsågod)
oho! I'm impressed that you even figured out what language that was, let alone how to say you're welcome.
Google is my friend :)
what are you guyz talking about
Dave, is this a record number of posts for you?
Again, eech.
don't ya just love it when someone writes "I read somewhere".......
Funny you should mention that because I read that somewhere.
A THN writer has stated these as Montreal's top tradeable prospects.
MONTREAL
1. David Fischer, D – Minnesota (WCHA) – 1st Round ’06 – Sophomore year at Minnesota finds him developing nicely.
2. P.K. Subban, D – Belleville (OHL) – 2nd Round ’07 – Great feet and offensive instincts helped Canada at the WJC.
3. Yannick Weber, D – Kitchener (OHL) – 3rd Round ’07 – Offensive leader from the blueline.
4. Max Pacioretty, LW – Michigan (CCHA) – 1st Round ’07 – Point-a-game as a freshman is very impressive.
5. Ryan White, C – Calgary (WHL) – 3rd Round ’06 – Plays the game hard and scores, too.
I have to agree. I can't believe the depth of our prospects. We still have Halak, McDonough, Chipchura, Yemilin, Valentenko, Maxwell.
Trevor Timmins is the man
dont forget brisebois
I don't see Bob trading potential for experience - he's way too savvy to deal away players who haven't hit their full market value yet.
www.flickeringpictures.com
I'd say Fischer and Weber are tradeable and attractive prospects. In other words, I would be very hesitant to see them go. The other 3 on this list I'd really, really hate to see them go.
Thats true, we have so many defensive prosepects, why not use some for a needed foward, that seems to be what I am hearing somewhere.