Habs : And Tinordi - step up in Game 2

Source : Montrealgazette.com

Rookie defenceman Jarred Tinordi said it wasn't difficult for the Canadiens to get up for Game 2 of their playoff series against the Ottawa Senators.

"Everybody was pretty pissed off about how the game went Thursday," Tinordi said Saturday prior to the Canadiens' departure for Ottawa where they will the Senators in Game 3 Sunday night (7 p.m. ET, CBC, RDS, TSN-690 Radio). "Obviously, things didn't go our way and we tried to use that and we came out flying."

The result was the Canadiens outhit and outscored the Senators for a 3-1 win Friday to deadlock the best-of-seven series at a game apiece.

Tinordi, who had eight games of NHL experience coming into the playoffs, had four hits and three blocked shots to contribute to the win. The victory was impressive because the Canadiens were missing three top forwards - Lars Eller, Max Pacioretty and captain Brian Gionta. Eller is out for the series with a concussion and facial injuries but there was good news on Gionta and Pacioretty
Saturday. They joined the team's Black Aces for a game of shinny and both players boarded the bus for Ottawa. Coach Michel Therrien said the players were day-to-day but there was a possibility they could play Sunday.

Tinordi was on the ice for Ottawa's lone goal by Milan Michalek but he's even through two playoff games and has added a physical element to the Canadiens defencsive corps.

"I think the playoffs are good for my style," said Tinordi. "I'm not out there to score goals. I'm realizing what kind of defenceman I am and I'm comfortable playing in defensive situations."

Tinordi showed his willingness to mix it up when he became involved in a minor altercation with Ottawa tough guy which he described as "fun."

Tinordi has good genes. His father Mark was a tough physical defenceman with more than 1,500 penalty minutes and he was on hand to watch his son this week.

"I wish I could have seen more of him when I was younger," said Jarred.

When asked who was more nervous going into Game 1, Tinordi said: "It was mostly me but I'm sure he was nervous, too,"

Did dad have any advice before his son's playoff debut?

"He gave me two things to work on," said Tinordi. "He doesn't want to cloud my head with a lot of stuff. He just told me to have fun and play hard."

That was the same advice the Canadiens gave him when he was recalled from Hamilton with two games remaining in the off-season.

"I didn't know what to expect," said Tinordi. "I was skating with the guys in Hamilton and packing up my apartment. I didn't know what the lineup was but I knew it was a great opportunity and I knew that if I got in, I was going to play hard and take it one game at a time."

Meanwhile in Ottawa, Senators coach Paul MacLean responded to Brandon Prust describing him as a "bug-eyed, fat walrus."

Said MacLean: "Bug-eyed, that's a new one. Walrus, I haven't heard that one but I may be husky but I'm not fat."