Habs Penalty Kill Struggles In Game 1-Pens 6, Habs 3

The Montreal Canadiens dropped the opening game of their 2nd round series to the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3. The Pens scored 4 power play goals and chased Jaroslav Halak from the net by scoring 5 goals on 20 shots. PK Subban scored his first NHL goal to open the scoring, while Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta also scored for the Canadiens. Gionta and Scott Gmez picked up a pair of points each. Halak, as noted above made 15 saves, while his replacement Carey Price stopped all 3 shots he faced. The Penguins also added an empty net goal in the final minute. Marc Andre Fleury made 28 saves to pick up the win for Pittsburgh. After such a great opening round, the penalty kill allowed the 4 goals mentioned earlier in just 4 Pens chances. The Canadiens power play went 1 for 4 on the night. The Habs were dealt a crushing blow in the first period when all-star defenceman Andrei Markov left with a lower body injury. Early reports say he left the rink on crutches which is never a good sign. Some other thoughts from a tough game:

>Halak had a bit of an off night. He looked tired and just couldn't make the stops when needed most. Hopefully he can come back like he did after getting pulled in round 1.

>At the end of the day, you cannot allow 4 power play goals and hope to win. The coaching staff needs to make some adjustments to make sure that doesn't happen again. The Canadiens also have to avoid taking such stupid penalties (too many men, delay of game...etc.).

>Andrei Kostitsyn had a horrible giveaway that led to a too many men on the ice penalty, and then a goal. He didn't see the ice much after that. Martin moved Moen with Pleks and Cammi, while Pyatt (and sometimes Pouliot) took Moen's spot with Gomez and Gionta.

The Canadiens look pretty tired as a whole after that draining series against the Caps. Despite that, with a few saves and some better penalty killing this game could have gone the other way. Their ability to make adjustments on the penalty kill, the play of Halak, and finding a way to cope without Markov (potentially) will decide if they can win or not. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight was a pretty easy choice. PK Subban scored his first NHL goal and made great plays that led to the other two. This kid is special, that's for sure. Consideration also given to Cammalleri and Gionta. Game 2 goes Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh, thanks NHL for giving the Habs so much rest.

Playoff Preview Round 2-Pens

After knocking off the Presidents Trophy winning Washington Capitals in round 1, the Montreal Canadiens find themselves with a spot in the 2nd round of the NHL playoffs. Things don't get any easier for the Canadiens as they will enjoy a night off followed by a Friday night date with the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. So much for things getting easier. The Pens defeated the Ottawa Senators in round 1 4 games to 2 after picking up 101 points in the regular season, good for 4th in the East. They also scored the 2nd most goals in the Eastern Conference, led by Crosby with 51. Surprisingly, the Pens power play ranked 19th in the league during the regular season, while the penalty kill was 9th.

The Penguins won the season series 3-1, with the Canadiens only win coming in the final matchup at the Bell Centre. Like in the Caps series, controlling the Pens big guns will be a huge key to the series. Crosby and Malkin give the Penguins two of the more skilled centres in the league. The Canadiens defence and Halak will have to continue their strong play. Probably the biggest question mark for the Pens is goaltending, where despite Marc Andre Fleury having a cup ring, he still is considered beatable on some nights. Strong goaltending and timely scoring will be the recipe for success once again in this series. The Habs will once again be massive underdogs but I'm sure they have some confidence after taking out the Caps in round 1. Here is the schedule:

Friday April 30 6:00 pm @ Pittsburgh

Sunday May 2 1:00 pm @ Pittsburgh

Tuesday May 4 6:00 pm @ Montreal

Thursday May 6 6:00 pm @ Montreal

Saturday May 10 6:00 pm @ Pittsburgh (if necessary)

Wednesday May 12 TBD (if necessary)

Game 7 TBD (if necessary)

Habs Shock The Hockey World-Habs 2, Caps 1

I'm not sure if any expert actually picked the Montreal Canadiens to upset the Washinton Capitals in their 1st round series, but that's exactly what they did. The Habs completed the 2nd biggest upset in NHL playoff history by defeating the Capitals 2-1 in game 7. The win completed a comeback that saw the Canadiens erase a 3-1 series deficit, with 2 of the final 3 wins coming in Washington. The Capitals finished a whopping 33 points ahead of the Canadiens in the regular season standings and most experts had a great time discussing how bad the Habs would embarassed in this series. Marc Andre Bergeron and Dominic Moore scored the Canadiens goals. Moore's goal in the 3rd period made the score 2-0, but the Capitals responded 1:20 later to make things interesting. Ryan O'Byrne then took a penalty with under 2 minutes to play to set up a wild finish. Jaroslav Halak was amazing again making 41 saves for the win. Seymon Varlamov made 14 saves in a losing cause. Both teams had goals disallowed in the 3rd period. The Canadiens penalty kill continued to be another huge story, holding the Caps scoreless in 3 tries and allowed only 1 goal the entire series. The Habs power play clicked again, going 1 for 3 on the night. Some other thoughts from a great night:

>Hal Gill was awesome again tonight. I gave Gill a lot of grief over the regular season, but he has stepped up his game and been a force on the blueline so far in the playoffs. The rest of the defence was solid as well.

>The Canadiens once again rolled 3 lines, with Metropolit and Pouliot seeing limited action, although Pouliot took Moen's spot in the 3rd. Not sure if there was an injury to Moen or what the deal was.

>Shot blocking was a big factor in this series and was once again tonight. The Habs had 41 blocked shots tonight, with Gill and Markov having 6 a piece.

This can only be described as a monumental upset. Going into the series I figured it would take great goaltending and timely scoring to win this series. That's exactly what the Canadiens were able to do in the final 3 games. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Jaroslav Halak again. What a performance again tonight, he was fabulous. Consideration also given to Gill and Markov. Next action, round 2 Friday in Pittsburgh against the Pens.

Habs Force A Game 7-Habs 4, Caps 1

The Montreal Canadiens refused to let their season end as they defeated the Washington Capitals 4-1 in front of a crazy sellout crowd at the Bell Centre. The win forced a game 7 back in Washington against the top seeded Caps. Jaroslav Halak was unbelievable in net for the Canadiens stopping a whopping 53 shots for the victory. Seymon Varlamov made 18 saves in the Caps goal. Mike Cammalleri scored a pair of 1st period goals 1:39 apart to give the Canadiens the early lead. Max Lapierre scored early in the 3rd followed by Tomas Plekanec icing the game into an empty net to send the crowd into a frenzy. The Canadiens penalty kill was a big factor again holding the Caps scoreless in 6 tries, including a long 5 on 3. The Canadiens power play went 1 for 5 on the night. For those who believe there is a conspiracy against Canadian teams, the Habs were assesed 3 diving penalties in the game, with 2 of those being the only call on the play, both to Max Lapierre. To put this is perspective, there were 3 diving calls made in the entire NHL regular season that were the only penalty on the play. Yes I lost it a few times because of these calls. Some other thoughts:

>The story before the game was the Canadiens recalling PK Subban from Hamilton. PK played great like he did in the regular season, picking up an assist in just over 10 minutes of ice time. During his first shift the crowd was chanting his name after knocking a Caps player down...man they (we) love this kid.

>To make room for PK, Sergei Kostitsyn was in the press box. This forced the Canadiens to roll 3 lines most of the night, with Pouliot and Metropolit seeing just over 5 minutes of ice time. Lapierre played on the 3rd line with Pyatt and Moore.

>Props to Gill and Gorges again tonight for a huge effort on the penalty kill. Both have been warriors in these playoffs and a big reason the Canadiens have been hold the Caps power play in check.

For a team that was supposed to be dispatched in 4 games, the Canadiens have made this into quite a series. The story of tonight was strong goaltending and timely scoring. Hopefully the Habs can carry this momentum into game 7. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Jaroslav Halak, no doubt about it. He was a rock tonight and the star of the game. Consideration also given to Lapierre and Cammalleri. Game 7 goes Wednesday in Washington.

Not So Fast Caps-Habs 2, Caps 1

The Montreal Canadiens have lived to play another day. The Canadiens forced a game 6 back in Montreal with a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals. The Caps still hold a 3-2 edge in the series, but were the heavy favorites to wrap up round 1 on home ice. But the Canadiens had other plans as they scored twice in the opening 7:01 to jump out to a 2-0 lead. The Caps would cut the lead in half early in the 2nd, but Jaroslav Halak shut the door the rest of the way to pick up the win. Halak was remarkable, making 37 saves, while Seymon Varlamov stopped 26 for the Capitals. Mike Cammalleri and Travis Moen scored the Canadiens goals. Both teams struggled on the power play, with the Habs going 0/6 and the Caps gonig 0/4. The Caps were caught for too many men on the ice in the final minute after Varlamov made his way to the bench, only to retreat as the puck slid towards the net. The problem was the extra attacker had already joined the play. Some other thoughts from an exciting game:

>Martin moved Moen onto the Gomez line and it paid dividends. Pouliot has been struggling and Moen gave that line a physical dimension they had been lacking.

>Martin also cut the bench down in the 3rd, with Hamrlik and Bergeron seeing little ice time in the final 10 minutes. O'Byrne/Markov and Gill/Gorges were given the task to limit the Caps chances to tie the game.

>Hats off to the Caps penalty killing for doing a good job on the Habs tonight. They are forcing all over the ice and the Canadiens are making some poor decisions. Might be time to simplify things and just throw it back to the point and get some shots on net.

Nice to see the Habs come out with an inspired effort as they faced elimination. Many said this series would be over in 4 (or 3 according to PJ Stock) but we will see a game 6 back at the Bell Centre. Hopefully Halak can play well again and the Habs can come up with another strong defensive effort. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Jaroslav Halak. Halak made 37 saves and was spectacular all night. Consideration also given to Moen and Cammalleri. Game 6 will go Monday in Montreal as the Habs again try to stave off elimination.

Ovechkin Shows 6 Year Old Flag Boy Who's Boss

Last year at this time I was an Ovechkin fan. The guy was an exciting sniper who had personality. As this season went on, Ovechkin had several questionable hits. This wasn't anything new in his career, but so many in one season was alarming. I began to grow tired of the constant excuses as to why it wasn't his fault that he hurt this player and that player. Seeing him dodge suspension after suspension while others who did similar things had the book thrown at them. It had nothing to do with the Canadiens, none of these hits happened against them, it had to do with the fact he seemed to always get a free pass, no matter what he did. Suddenly I genuinely felt bad for Crosby and the flak he has taken the past couple of seasons for diving and whining. I admit I have criticized Crosby in the past for things like this. Right from the start these two superstars have been rivals, not only on the ice but in the media where one "boring" player tries to compete with the "flashy" one.

The latest Ovechkin incident has only added to my dislike for him. Before game 4, Ovechkin did his usual pregame ritual of skating directly to the bench, stopping and jumping in. The only difference was that this time there happened to be a 6 year old child living out a dream of holding a Montreal Canadiens flag in front of a sell out crowd standing where Ovechkin usually stops. Ovechkin went on with his ritual, icing the poor kid as he stood there confused. Some may not think this is a big deal, but think of how this kid felt seeing a 225 pound NHL player barreling down on him, then snowing him with ice. His reaction appeared to be fear and confusion as he glanced at Ovechkin and then tried to move over, probably thinking he was in the wrong spot. So what could Ovechkin have done differently. If he indeed "had" to do his ritual, why not stop 2 feet over and avoid spraying snow on the kid? How about tapping the youngster on the head or shin pads if you spray him with ice so he doesn't have to worry he did something wrong?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7Pv9VD_5Ew

Some will say I am over reacting, and who knows, maybe I am. But this whole incident got me thinking what the best way to determine if a situation like this is bad or not. I came up with this....anytime I am faced with a decision like this, I'm going to picture Sean Avery (the league's biggest dirt bag) doing the same thing. If Avery did this, would people stick up for him saying he was just having fun or just being "Avery"? I highly doubt it, but just like every other time Ovechkin has crossed the line, people chalk it up to him just being "Ovie". That's fine if you are shooting your mouth off in the media or performing an over the top celebration, not when you are spraying a 6 year old with snow. Time to grow up Ovechkin.

Good Effort But No Victory-Caps 6, Habs 3

The Montreal Canadiens find themselves on the verge of elimination thanks to a 6-3 loss to the Washington Capitals in game 4 of their 1st round matchup. The Canadiens controlled the play for the first 2 periods, but found themselves in a 2-2 tie thanks to a Caps shorthanded goal with just 7 seconds to go in the period. They then added a pair of quick goals half way through the 3rd to take a 4-2 lead before scoring 2 empty net goals, with a Habs marker in between. Mike Cammalleri, Brian Gionta and Dominic Moore scored for the Canadiens who outshot the Caps 39-38, including 21-9 in the 2nd period alone. Carey Price got the call in goal for the Habs and made 32 saves. Seymon Varlamov was great at the other end making 36 saves and holding the Capitals in it through 2 periods. The Canadiens penalty kill finally allowed a goal in 5 Caps chances. The power play went 1/4 on the night, but as noted gave up a back breaking shorthanded goal for the 2nd game in a row. Some other observations:

>Hamrlik was the direct cause of the shorthanded goal tonight, as he was in game 3. I really don't know what's going on with him, he is usually one of the more reliable players on defence. Spacek missed the game with an injury and Ryan O'Byrne drew back in to take his spot.

>The forwards had a ton of chances, but just could not turn those chances into more goals. Sergei Kostitsyn was back in, with Darche in the pressbox.

>Price played well and really didn't have much of a chance on the Caps 4 goals they scored on him. The Caps again took advantage of the Canadiens mistakes.

Other than the errors, the Canadiens deserved to win this game. They outworked the Caps most of the night, but at the end of the day if you can't score on your chances and you make mistakes at key times, you won't win. Some fans might be upset, but you really can't say this team didn't leave it all on the ice tonight. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Glen Metropolit. Had an assist and a great shot block...all this from a guy that came back 3 weeks early from injury to play. Consideration also given to Cammalleri and Gionta. The Canadiens will now try to keep their season alive Friday night in Washington.

Caps Make Most Of Chances To Down Habs-Caps 5, Habs 1

The Washington Capitals capitalized on their opportunities to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 5-1 at the Bell Centre. The Habs carried the play through the 1st period, outshooting the Caps 10-7 and killing off a pair of Washington power plays. The 2nd started the same way and an early Canadiens man advantage appeared to give the Canadiens a great opportunity to get the games opening goal. But the Capitals scored short handed to go up 1-0 followed by another 2 goals to push the lead to 3. This signalled the end of the night for Habs starter Jaroslav Halak who allowed 3 goals on 13 shots. Carey Price came in to mop up and allowed a pair of goals on 23 shots. Tomas Plekanec scored the Canadiens lone goal to make it 4-1 early in the 3rd, but that's as close as they would get. Semyon Varlamov was the difference in this one, ending the night with 26 saves including several key ones in the opening frame. The Habs power play went 1 for 5 on the night while the Caps were held scoreless in 7 attempts. Some other thoughts from a tough one:

>Glen Metropolit returned to the lineup for the Canadiens relagating Sergei Kostitsyn to the press box. He played just 5:37 while linemate Mathieu Darche played only 2:22.

>Sorry to sound like a homer, but the officiating was terrible again. When Pierre Maguire questions 4 calls/non calls that went against the Canadiens, there are issues.

>Halak can't really be faulted on the Caps goals, but to win in the playoffs your goalies needs to make some of those saves. Varlamov did just that and allowed the Caps to escape the 1st before putting their chances away in the 2nd. Now let the discussions begin as to who will be in net on Wednesday for Montreal.

Sometimes games like this happen. Puck luck was on the Caps side tonight and the Canadiens couldn't get a bounce. I thought the 1st was maybe the best period the Canadiens had played in these playoffs, and the 2nd really wasn't that bad other than the score. They need to find away to put this one behind them and knot the series up at 2 heading back to Washington. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Hal Gill. Made some fantastic plays on the PK and was solid in his own end. Consideration also given to Plekanec and Cammalleri. Game 4 goes Wednesday night at the Bell Centre.

Caps Storm Back To Beat Habs-Caps 6, Habs 5 (OT)

The Montreal Canadiens built up a 3 goal lead, but ended up on the losing end of a 6-5 overtime game against the Washington Capitals. With the win, the Caps tied the series up at 1 heading to Montreal. The Canadiens started quickly with Brian Gionta scoring a minute in followed by Andrei Kostistyn at the 7:58 mark to give the Canadiens a 2-0 lead and chase Jose Theodore from the Caps net. Washington would get one back before the end of the opening frame, but Andrei Kostitsyn scored 2 more in the 2nd to finish off the hat trick. The Caps cut the lead to 4-2 and then tied it to open the 3rd period as they scored twice in the opening 10 minutes. But Tomas Plekanec again put the Canadiens ahead only to see Washington tie it with under 2 minutes to play, then win it early in overtime. A. Kostistyn ended the night with 4 points, while Mike Cammalleri had 3 and Tomas Plekanec 2. Jaroslav Halak made 31 saves in a losing effort, while the Caps goalies combined to make 19 saves. The Montreal power play went 1/3, while the PK was perfect again killing all 3 Caps chances. The TSN crew questioned the Caps 2nd goal claiming goalie interference and Maguire even disagreed with a 3rd period penalty on Hall Gill. This confirmed the refing against the Canadiens tonight was god awful. Some other thoughts from a heart breaker:

>Pleks and company were on fire today combining for 9 points. Great to see Big Tits light the lamp.

>The Caps crashed the crease all night and it appeared to affect the play of Halak. The defence is going to have to do a better job of standing up, something they did perfectly in game 1, but the last 2 goals were a direct result of the defenders giving the Caps too much time.

>Sergei Kostitsyn didn't see the ice in the 3rd after the Caps 2nd goal. With the leash Martin has him on I would say there is a good chance we could see him in the press box for game 3.

I'm not going to lie, that game was a pretty big disappointment. The Habs built a nice lead, but couldn't hold on. Taking both games in Washington would have been massive, but a split isn't too bad either. Hopefully they can get off to a good start in Montreal and get the Bell Centre rocking. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Andrei Kostitsyn. Not much doubt about this one, hat trick and 4 points overall. Consideration also given to Gionta and Plekanec. Game 3 is Monday night at the Bell Centre.

Habs Take Game 1-Habs 3, Caps 2 (OT)

I can't wait to hear what the "experts" who predicted a sweep have to say tomorrow. The Montreal Canadiens weathered the storm early and came out on top 3-2 in overtime victory over the Washington Capitals in game 1 of their Eastern conference quarter final. Jaroslav Halak was great between the pipes for the Canadiens, ending the night with 45 saves including 18 in the first period alone. As expected, the Caps fed off their fans and came out blazing in the 1st period. Despite being outshot by a wide margin, the Canadiens went into the intermission locked up at 1 after a goal by Mike Cammalleri. That score held up until the 3rd when the Caps took the lead under a minute in. But the Canadiens got back on even terms when Scott Gomez scored at the 7:34 mark. The hero of the day was Tomas Plekanec who ended the game with just under 7 minutes to play in the first overtime, giving the Canadiens first blood in the series. Jose Theodore made 35 saves for the Caps in a losing cause. The power play went 1/4 on the night while the penalty kill was perfect in 4 Caps chances. One of the big story lines was the Habs holding superstar Alex Ovechkin to 0 shots on the night, something that is unheard of. Some other thoughts from a fantasitc start to the playoffs:

>What an effort by the defence corp. Spacek was amazing tonight against Ovechkin and the rest of the crew played almost as good. If they can keep it up all series the Canadiens have a good chance to win.

>Nice to see Cammalleri break out of his slump with the opening goal. Great rush as well by Gomez which led to goal #2. And who can forget Pleks who backed up his words with the winner.

>Halak made some incredible saves in the 1st and allowed the Canadiens to escape into the intermission with a tie. After that I thought the Canadiens found their legs and gave the Caps all they could handle.

Taking game 1 is exactly what the doctor ordered. This one should give the Habs the confidence to know they can play with the Caps when they are on their game. There sure weren't too many passengers on this night. But no time to dwell on the victory, it's time to look forward to game 2. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Jaroslav Spacek. Did a great job on Oveckin, broke up a 2 on 1 in overtime and for good measure set up Pleks for the game winner. Consideration also given to Halak and Pleks. Next game is Saturday back in Washington for game 2.

Playoff Preview-Round 1 Caps

The regular season is officially in the books and when the dust settled the Montreal Canadiens found themselves with the number 8 seed in the Eastern conference. Their reward? A 1st round match up with the President's Trophy winning Washington Capitals. The Capitals lead the NHL with 121 points and a total of 318 goals scored, 101 more than the Habs. They also sported the league's top power play along with 7 20+ goal scorers and a pair of players with over 100 points. Scoring hasn't been a problem this season for the Capitals, but despite a hot run by former Hab Jose Theodore, keeping goals out remains a bit of a question mark.

The Canadiens went 2-1-1 against the Caps this season and held Ovechkin in check....or at least as in check as can be expected. There will be a ton of speed in this series and the Canadiens can't get into a track meet trading chances if they want to have a chance. Against a team like the Capitals, you will get scoring chances, that's for sure. But the key is to capitalize on these chances and minimize the opportunities the other way. Halak and/or Price will be one of the, if not the biggest key to the Canadiens success. Here's hoping the Habs can give the Caps a run for their money.

Schedule:

Thursday April 15 @ Washington

Saturday April 17 @ Washington

Monday April 19 in Montreal

Wednesday April 21 in Montreal

Friday April 23 @ Washington (if necessary)

Monday April 26 in Montreal (if necessary)

Wednesday April 28 @ Washington (if necessary)

Habs Take Care Of Business....Sort Of-Laffs 4, Habs 3 (OT)

The Montreal Canadiens punched their ticket to the post season by picking up a single point in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. With the point, the Habs will either finish 7th or 8th in the East depending on the outcome of the Rangers/Flyers game tomorrow. Brian Gionta, Andrei Markov and Marc Andre Bergeron scored the Canadiens goals. Markov ended the night with 3 points, while Scott Gomez had a pair of assists. Jaroslav Halak had an off night, giving up a pair of goals that I would consider weak. He ended the night with 24 saves, while J.S. Giguere made 34 saves for the Laffs. The Canadiens hit 3 crossbars and a goal post or this one might have gone the other way. The Canadiens power play went 1 for 5 on the night, while the Laffs failed to score on their only chance with the man advantage. The Canadiens played without Sergei Kostitsyn who saw his spot taken by Darche. The CBC tandem of Bob Cole and Greg Millen were extremely pro Laffs, with Cole confused about pretty much everything about the game tonight. Some other observations:

>Ryan O'Byrne appears to be still paying for his rough game the other night, as he dressed but saw only 1:46 of ice time. His spot was taken by Bergeron who to his credit played a good game.

>With Bit Tits struggling badly all night, Martin made a move late in the 3rd to replace him with Darche. Seemed to work, as that line had some great chances in the 3rd.

>The Gomez, Gionta and Pouliot line was pretty good all night. They created a ton of chances and hit a couple of posts. Gomez was a monster on faceoffs, winning 58% of them including a number of key ones on the power play.

It would have been nice to get a win, but who cares the Montreal Canadiens are playoff bound! Looks like it will either be the Caps, Devils or the Sabres in round 1. All three provide stiff competition, but I think both can be beat if the Canadiens (and their goaltending) are at the top of their game. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Andrei Markov. When the chips were down he had a huge night. Consideration also given to Gomez and Gionta. Not sure when the next game will be, but I can't wait.

Poor Effort Leads To Bad Loss-Canes 5, Habs 2

Apparently somebody forgot to tell the Montreal Canadiens they had not clinched a playoff berth yet. The Carolina Hurricanes dominated the Montreal Canadiens enroute to a 5-2 win in Raleigh. The Habs had little jump until the 3rd period, but it was too little too late. The Canes jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 2nd before Brian Gionta scored to cut the lead to one. A Carolina power play goal to start the 3rd was quickly neutralized with a Marc Andre Bergeron blast to get the Canadiens back within a goal. But a pair of late Canes goals, including one into an empty net iced the game and left the Canadiens still without a playoff spot. Jaroslav Halak got the call in net and stopped 28 of 32 shots in a losing effort. Cam Ward was great in goal for the Canes, especially in the 3rd period, and ended the night with 30 saves. The power play went 0/2 while the penalty kill gave up a goal on the Canes only attempt. The TSN crew was able to rip the Canadiens all game in case anyone blind was watching the game...thanks for that. Some other thoughts from a tough game to watch:

>The Canadiens had all kinds of trouble with giveaways. Too many lazy clearing attempts and passes back into their own zone. Sometimes it's best to make the easy play....

>Martin juggled the lines playing Cammi with Gomez and Gionta. They looked pretty good, but couldn't finish. Pleks was stuck with A. Kost. and Pouliot who both had off nights. Both O'Byrne and Sergei Kostitysn were benched in the second, but they certainly weren't the most deserving 2 of this treatment.

>Sorry to pick on Martin again, but with 2:23 to go in a 2 goal game and a face off in the oppositions end is a pretty good time to pull the goalie. Of course he did not, instead waiting until there was 1:38 on the clock.

The Canadiens can never make things easy on themselves. For the second straight year the playoff race will come down to the final weekend. I just hope they don't leave themselves in a must win situation in the last game of the year. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Marc Andre Bergeron. Bergeron had a solid game which included a goal. Consideration also given to Markov and Moore. Next up, the final game of the season against the Laffs.

Habs Fail To Clinch A Playoff Spot-Isles 4, Habs 3 (SO)

The Montreal Canadiens picked up a point, but failed to punch their ticket to the postseason by dropping a 4-3 game to the New York Islanders in a shootout. With the Rangers losing, the Canadiens could have secured their spot in the top 8 with a win. They came within 2:01 of doing so, but gave up a goal to send the game into extra time. Tomas Plekanec, Maxime Lapierre and Brian Gionta scored for the Canadiens, who could not solve Martin Biron in the shootout, going 0/2. Jaroslav Halak made 40 saves for the Habs, but allowed a pair of goals in two chances in the shootout. Biron ended the night with 28 saves for the Islanders. The Canadiens also had to kill a penalty in the extra frame, when Andrei Kostitsyn was called for a hook with just under 2 minutes to play. The Canadiens were perfect on the penalty kill, going 3 for 3, while the power play was 1/2. Jaroslav Spacek missed another game with an illness. Some other thoughts:

>Some quesitonable coaching tonight left me with a bad taste in my mouth. First, having Pleks, Pyatt and Gionta on the ice late in the game, which eventually led to the tieing goal. I have no problem with these 3, but none of them play regularly on the same line. Also, putting Lapierre in the shootout was a dumb move in my opinion.

>The defence didn't play particularly well. Outside of O'Byrne and Gorges, the rest struggled. Too many turnovers, although I will give the Isles credit for working hard and being pretty quick.

>Cammalleri hasn't scored since he returned from injury. Seems to be a little off still. I'd like to see him fire some more pucks on net. I think if he gets one, he'll start to score in bunches.

Tough game against a determined Islander team. The Isles are playing loose, with nothing to play for and it showed tonight. The Canadiens missed an opportunity to clinch, but are still in fairly good shape in terms of getting into the playoffs. I won't even try to figure out the various scenarios. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game on this night goes to Tomas Plekanec. Pleks had a goal and was solid all over the ice as usual, including part of the penalty kill in overtime. Consideration also given to O'Byrne and Lapierre. Next action is Thursday in Carolina.