Bonjour, j'aime écrire des poèmes sur tout et rien et je suis un fan de hockey et surtout du Canadiens de Montréal ! Au plaisir ! N'oublier pas de regarder ma section en bas de Mes Sonneries !
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samedi 23 mai 2015
mardi 14 avril 2015
Claude Julien et Peter Chiarelli se tournent vers l'avenir
source : lapresse.ca
Les Bruins de Boston ne sont pas habitués à ramasser leurs effets personnel si hâtivement.
Pour la première fois en huit saisons, ils ont raté les séries.
Leurs 96 points ont dominé les autres clubs écartés, mais ils ont perdu
leurs trois derniers matches et se sont vus éliminés lors du dernier
jour de la saison.
«Nous allons regarder l'ensemble de la saison, parce que les points égarés en cours de route finissent par faire une différence», a confié le DG Peter Chiarelli, qui est en poste depuis neuf saisons.
L'entraîneur Claude Julien rate les séries pour la première fois en huit saisons, depuis qu'il a remplacé Dave Lewis.
«L'incertitude et les questions font partie du boulot, a dit Chiarelli. Il faut composer avec ça et aller de l'avant.»
La question à savoir si Julien va garder ses fonctions «n'est pas de mon ressort», a dit le principal intéressé. Ça va dépendre de la haute direction. Je veux certainement continuer, mais je suis aussi conscient de la nature du hockey.»
Les Bruins auront été affectés par des blessures de longue haleine à Zdeno Chara, Dougie Hamilton et David Krejci, cette saison.
L'attaque a peiné à fournir, se classant au 23e rang de la ligue pour les buts marqués (213); la saison précédente, Boston a fini troisième à ce niveau, avec 261 buts. Les jeunes David Pastrnak et Ryan Spooner ont montré de belles choses, mais ils ont peu d'expérience.
Le gardien Tuukka Rask a égalé la marque d'équipe en prenant part à 70 matches, ce qui a laissé croire à un manque de confiance envers le réserviste, Niklas Svedberg.
«Nous allons examiner chaque facette, mais nous n'allons pas nous précipiter sous prétexte que nous ne sommes pas des séries, a dit Chiarelli. Nous allons tous être évalués, il n'y a pas de secret là. Nous allons prendre les bonnes décisions pour améliorer l'organisation.»
Les Bruins ont remporté la coupe Stanley Cup en 2011, ont atteint la finale en 2013 et ont dominé la LNH pour les points en 2013-14.
«Vous ne pouvez tout simplement pas atteindre les séries en ménageant les efforts, a dit l'attaquant Brad Marchand. Vous devez donner le meilleur de vous-même à chaque soir. Et quand vous êtes dans notre situation, ça montre à quel point tous les matches comptent.»
«Nous allons regarder l'ensemble de la saison, parce que les points égarés en cours de route finissent par faire une différence», a confié le DG Peter Chiarelli, qui est en poste depuis neuf saisons.
L'entraîneur Claude Julien rate les séries pour la première fois en huit saisons, depuis qu'il a remplacé Dave Lewis.
«L'incertitude et les questions font partie du boulot, a dit Chiarelli. Il faut composer avec ça et aller de l'avant.»
La question à savoir si Julien va garder ses fonctions «n'est pas de mon ressort», a dit le principal intéressé. Ça va dépendre de la haute direction. Je veux certainement continuer, mais je suis aussi conscient de la nature du hockey.»
Les Bruins auront été affectés par des blessures de longue haleine à Zdeno Chara, Dougie Hamilton et David Krejci, cette saison.
L'attaque a peiné à fournir, se classant au 23e rang de la ligue pour les buts marqués (213); la saison précédente, Boston a fini troisième à ce niveau, avec 261 buts. Les jeunes David Pastrnak et Ryan Spooner ont montré de belles choses, mais ils ont peu d'expérience.
Le gardien Tuukka Rask a égalé la marque d'équipe en prenant part à 70 matches, ce qui a laissé croire à un manque de confiance envers le réserviste, Niklas Svedberg.
«Nous allons examiner chaque facette, mais nous n'allons pas nous précipiter sous prétexte que nous ne sommes pas des séries, a dit Chiarelli. Nous allons tous être évalués, il n'y a pas de secret là. Nous allons prendre les bonnes décisions pour améliorer l'organisation.»
Les Bruins ont remporté la coupe Stanley Cup en 2011, ont atteint la finale en 2013 et ont dominé la LNH pour les points en 2013-14.
«Vous ne pouvez tout simplement pas atteindre les séries en ménageant les efforts, a dit l'attaquant Brad Marchand. Vous devez donner le meilleur de vous-même à chaque soir. Et quand vous êtes dans notre situation, ça montre à quel point tous les matches comptent.»
jeudi 15 mai 2014
Habs : With the Bruins out of the way, Canadiens fans looking ahead to the Rangers #habs #playoffs #stanleycup
source : faceoff.com
With the Boston Bruins eliminated in a Game 7 nail-biter, Montreal Canadiens fans wasted little time in turning their attention to the team's next opponent: the New York Rangers.
Fans were jubilant Wednesday night, jamming into the downtown core to celebrate their hockey heroes moving a step closer to their first Stanley Cup in 21 years.
Many of the revellers on Ste-Catherine Street looked young enough to have been in daycare when
goaltender Patrick Roy inspired the Canadiens to glory in 1993.
Police appeared ready for trouble on Wednesday, controlling the largely festive crowd and making just five arrests three hours after the game had ended — three for municipal violations and two for alleged assault on officers.
As well as the spillout crowd from jam-packed bars, the fans included many of the 21,000 people who invaded the Bell Centre to watch the Habs' 3-1 victory in Boston on giant screens.
Pardeep Mann watched the celebration from a Ste-Catherine Street sidewalk.
"It unites everyone," he said.
"We're all here for one thing: it's the Canadiens. They're our heroes, they're our players and we're winning. It's just fun being part of winning. It doesn't happen a lot in Montreal, so it's fun."
Mann expects the crowds to get bigger and bigger the deeper the Habs go into the playoffs, beginning with the Canadiens' series against the Rangers. That showdown starts in Montreal on Saturday afternoon.
"If we reach the (Stanley) Cup finals — New York's a very good team — it's going to be huge," he said. "It's going to be very huge."
Pierre-Marc Lambert described the victory against Boston as "the best game ever!"
He predicted the Canadiens will now defeat the Rangers in the Eastern Conference final to reach the
Stanley Cup.
Fahad Syed, 21, a Habs fan since he was seven, described the win as an "amazing experience — especially beating the best team in the NHL."
Even at least one non-Montrealer was thrilled.
"I'm really happy to see Montreal win because I'm a fan of the Original Six," said Gene Krokosz, 62, who was visiting Montreal from Chicago.
"I'm a Blackhawks fan."
Krokosz said he thought Montreal deserved to defeat the Bruins.
"They put on a great performance, they outplayed Boston," he said.
As the game wound down, even Montreal police officers stationed on Ste-Catherine Street pumped their fists in celebratory manner.
Outside the Bell Centre after the game, someone put a Bruins jersey on a hockey stick and set it on fire as people began stomping on it.
Riot police intervened immediately and hauled it away while a raucous crowd continued cheering and screaming, "We Want the Cup."
Some fans set off fireworks, while others stood on people's shoulders and chanted the names of players as police guarded stores on Ste-Catherine.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper hailed Montreal's victory with a tweet: "Great to see a Canadian team finally take out the Bruins in a game 7."
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau tweeted, "Bravo les boys!"
The Bell Centre was a sea of red, white and blue during the decisive match as fans took advantage of $10 tickets to watch the game 500 kilometres away.
Some of the proceeds were destined for a Canadiens charity fund for children.
There were reports of people selling tickets for $50 in the hours leading up to the game.
Mario Trudelle attended the game with his wife, their two children and three other kids.
Everyone in the gang was wearing a Canadiens top except one young Bruins fan.
"We accept everybody," said Trudelle, who predicted a 4-2 Montreal victory.
Team spokesman Donald Beauchamp said the tickets sold out in two hours.
The peaceful denouement was in stark contrast to the scene in 2010 after fans at the Bell Centre watched the Canadiens eliminate the Penguins in a game played in Pittsburgh.
Mayhem ensued in downtown Montreal that night, with store windows smashed and rioters clashing with police.
Police have beefed up their playoff presence in recent years and always have a strong visibility downtown before and after games, particularly for series-deciding matchups.
mercredi 14 mai 2014
Montreal vs Boston : «On ne se rabaissera pas à leur niveau» -Prust
Source : 985sports.ca
Brandon Prust n'a pas été impressionné par la fin de match des Bruins de Boston, lundi soir, quand Zdeno Chara et Jarome Iginla ont tenté d'intimider les joueurs du Canadien.
«On a beaucoup de fierté dans ce vestiaire, ils peuvent faire ce qu'ils veulent, on ne se rabaissera pas à leur niveau. On veut les battre au tableau indicateur», a déclaré Prust qui comme ses coéquipiers, on a connu un bon match, mardi.
«Ce ne fut pas ma meilleure série, mais au cours des deux derniers matchs, les choses se sont remplacées, a déclaré le robuste attaquant. Je vais tenter de bâtir là-dessus, demain soir.»
Prust a admis que pour connaître un match comme hier, il fallait que tout tombe en place.
«Il faut vouloir plus que l’adversaire. Il faut être robuste, être le premier sur la rondelle et gagner les batailles le long des rampes», a-t-il analysé,
L’attaquant a indiqué que le geste de Shawn Thornton envers P.K. Subban dans le cinquième match, quand le joueur des Bruins a aspergé le défenseur avec sa bouteille d’eau alors qu’il était assis sur le banc des joueurs, avait motivé encore plus le Canadien.
«On n’avait pas besoin de cela, mais c’est certain que lorsque l’adversaire ne te respecte pas, ça te motive encore plus et je sais que P.K. l’a été», a-t-il dit.
Brian Gionta n’a surpris personne en disant que la vitesse représentait le meilleur atout de l’équipe.
«On doit utiliser notre rapidité pour aller récupérer les rondelles dans le fond de la zone et de les forcer à faire des revirements», a déclaré le capitaine du Tricolore.
Pour sa part, Daniel Brière a prétendu que l’équipe avait été transportée par l’énergie de la foule réunie au centre Bell, lundi soir, et il s’attend à une rude opposition des Bruins.
«On a hâte au septième match, c’est une belle opportunité, a dit Brière. Peu de gens nous accordait cette chance. Comme hier, il n’y a pas de lendemain, on n’a pas le droit à l’erreur. J’ai aimé la façon que l’on a agi hier. Ce ne sera pas facile, car les Bruins vont mettre plus de pression et il y aura plus désespoir dans leur jeu. Il faudra jouer avec la même ardeur, »
Le petit attaquant ignore si lui et ses coéquipiers ont semé un doute dans le jeu de leurs adversaires.
«Ils ont beaucoup d’expérience, on leur a peut-être fait un peu peur, mais ils vont être prêts, car ils ont disputé plusieurs septième matchs au cours des dernières années», a-t-il dit.
Selon Brière, les deux équipes vont avoir leurs chances : «Il faudra capitaliser quand nous en aurons».
Dix joueurs ont participé à l’entraînement facultatif.
Carey Price a enfilé l'équipement, tout comme Peter Budaj, Michaël Bournival et Nathan Beaulieu
Les autres joueurs qui se sont entraînés avant le départ de l'équipe vers Boston sont les attaquants Travis Moen, Ryan White et George Parros, ainsi que les défenseurs Douglas Murray, Francis Bouillon et Jarred Tinordi.
mardi 13 mai 2014
Montreal vs Boston : Price shutout sends Canadiens to Game 7
source : faceoff.com
The skinny: The Canadiens forced a seventh and deciding game in their Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Boston Bruins when they defeated the Bruins 4-0 Monday night at the Bell Centre. Carey Price made 26 saves for his first shutout of the playoffs. Thomas Vanek scored a power-play goal and added a second goal while Tuukka Rask was leaving the ice for an extra attacker. Lars Eller and Max Pacioretty each scored once.
Out of the shadows: Pacioretty and Vanek have been invisible for large parts of this series but they scored goals in a 2:36 span late in the second period to give the Canadiens a 3-0 lead. Pacioretty scored his first goal of the series and second of the playoffs when he caught Zdeno Chara sleeping and took a stretch pass from Nathan Beaulieu. He beat Tuukka Rask through the five-hole at 15:24. Vanek added a power-play goal at 17:39. Andrei Markov got the puck to the net and Pacioretty had a swipe at it before Vanek scored during a scramble in front.
First strike: In a series where the first goal has been important, the Canadiens took a 1-0 lead when Eller scored an unassisted goal at 2:11 of the opening period. When the Bruins tried to reverse the puck behind their net, rookie Kevin Miller was unable to control the pass and the puck bounced out in front of the net. Rask dove to reach the loose puck but he was unable to control it and Eller scored when he put a backhander under the shaft of Rask’s stick.
Close calls: The Canadiens were hemmed into their own end for nearly five minutes in the second period after P.K. Subban took a penalty for holding the stick. The Canadiens successfully killed the penalty but the Bruins kept the pressure on and squandered their best scoring chance when Milan Lucic missed an open net. The Bruins also missed an opportunity in the first period when Loui Eriksson hit the crossbar on the tail end of an odd-man rush. The Bruins thought they had a goal at 11:05 of the third period when Jarome Iginla deflected a puck in front. The puck went behind Price but David Desharnais batted the puck away as it bounced along the goal line.
Juggling the lineup: Beaulieu was a surprise addition to the Canadiens’ lineup. Beaulieu finished the season with the Hamilton Bulldogs and hadn’t played a game since April 19. He was making his first playoff appearance at the pro level. Coach Michel Therrien also brought Daniel Brière back into the lineup after a one-game absence. He replaced Travis Moen.
What’s next: The series moves to the TD Garden for the deciding Game 7 Wednesday night (7 p.m., CBC, RDS, TSN Radio 690). The winner will advance to the Eastern Conference final against the winner of Tuesday night’s game between the New York Rangers and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
lundi 12 mai 2014
Habs remain confident while facing elimination in Game 6
Source : faceoff.com
There’s a fine line between confidence and reality as the Canadiens prepare to meet the Boston Bruins Monday night at the Bell Centre in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series (7:30 p.m., CBC, RDS, TSN Radio 690).
It’s an elimination game for the Canadiens, who trail the best-of-seven series 3-2 after dropping a 4-2 decision to the Bruins Saturday night at Boston’s TD Garden.
“We knew what we’re getting into in this series,” captain Brian Gionta said Sunday after the team held an optional workout in Brossard. “They’re a good team. We’re playing at home. For the most part of the series we’ve outplayed them and we feel comfortable.”
“Some of our guys have done this before,” added David Desharnais, who was referring to the last playoff meeting between these teams in 2011, when the Canadiens won Game 6 at home and then lost
in overtime in Boston in Game 7. “We’re in front of our fans and we like the way we play at home.”
The confidence in the Canadiens’ dressing room might stem from the fact they never trailed in this series until the loss Saturday gave the Bruins a 3-2 lead. There’s an argument to be made the
Canadiens could have swept this series — they had a late two-goal lead in Game 2 and a Boston bounce produced a 1-0 overtime win for the Bruins in Game 4.
But it would be a mistake to say the Canadiens have outplayed the Bruins for most of this series, even though they have held the lead for the majority of it. The Canadiens have Carey Price and the power play to thank for a split of the first four games, but the Bruins have the momentum going into Game 6.
No matter how well Price and the defence play, the Canadiens have to find a way to score on a Boston defence that has played better with each game.
Game 5 saw the Bruins take a page out of the Canadiens’ playbook as they used the power play to take a 3-0 lead. The Bruins and the Canadiens each scored twice on the power play, but the key to the game was when those goals were scored.
Referees Eric Furlatt and Wes McCauley kept the lid on a potentially explosive game — the antics started when Brendan Gallagher and the Bruins’ Brad Marchand started sparring before the opening faceoff — by calling penalties early in the game.
The Canadiens had three power plays in the first period and failed to score. The Bruins also had three power plays and took a 2-0 lead early in the second period when Reilly Smith scored on a power play that spilled over from the first period. Twenty-six seconds after Smith scored, Tomas Plekanec took his third minor penalty of the game and it took only six seconds for Jarome Iginla to give Boston a 3-0 lead.
Gallagher and P.K Subban would score power-play goals later in the game, but the Canadiens left Boston talking about how the Bruins took away their time and space.
It was another frustrating night for Max Pacioretty and Thomas Vanek. Pacioretty matched Subban with a game-high six shots on goal, but none of Pacioretty’s shots produced a rise in Tuukka Rask’s heartbeat. Vanek had one shot and complained Sunday that the Bruins weren’t giving him any good looks.
“We knew all along that Boston had depth, but so do we,” Vanek said. “This series is about depth. We need to get everyone going and I’m part of that group. We’ve got to raise our game,”
After Sunday’s practice, Therrien ducked a question about his decision to play Brandon Prust in place of Daniel Brière in Game 5. Prust was the only Canadien centre to win more than 50 per cent of his faceoffs — he won four of five — but otherwise he made a minimal contribution and you shouldn’t be surprised if Brière is back in the lineup Monday.
If the Canadiens win Monday, the series returns to Boston for Game 7 Wednesday night.
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vendredi 9 mai 2014
NHL Playoff Capsules
source : faceoff.com
Matt Fraser scored at 1:19 of overtime to give the Boston Bruins a 1-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night, tying the Eastern Conference semifinal series 2-2.
Making his NHL playoff debut after being called up Wednesday from Providence of the American Hockey League, Fraser jumped into a scramble in front of goalie Carey Price and slid the puck under him into the net.
Fraser scored after Johnny Boychuk's shot from the point took a high hop off the end boards and Price and defenceman Mike Weaver had trouble controlling the bouncing puck.
Tuukka Rask made 33 saves for Boston, and Price stopped 34 shots.
Game 5 is Saturday night in Boston.
DUCKS 3, KINGS 2
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Teemu Selanne scored the tiebreaking power-play goal late in the second period, Corey Perry got his first goal of the series, and Anaheim trimmed Los Angeles' series lead to 2-1 in the Western Conference semifinals.
Jonas Hiller made seven saves in the final 9:58 after rookie goalie Frederik Andersen left with a right leg injury for the Ducks, who bounced back from two narrow losses in Anaheim to open the series.
Ben Lovejoy added a goal with 2:55 to play as Anaheim snapped the Kings' six-game winning streak.
Jeff Carter and Mike Richards scored and Jonathan Quick stopped 19 shots for the Kings, who hadn't lost since Game 3 of their stunning first-round series against San Jose.
Game 4 is Saturday night at Staples Center.
Boston vs Montreal : Le Canadien s'attendait à une longue bataille
source : journalmetro.com
Le Canadien s’attendait d’avoir à livrer une longue et dure bataille aux Bruins de Boston. C’est exactement ce qu’il doit faire.
«Nous étions prêts pour une longue série. Notre objectif était de l’étirer le plus longtemps possible, a affirmé Therrien, au terme de la défaite de 1-0 des siens en prolongation. Nous ne savons jamais ce qui peut arriver dans les prochains matchs.»
On a le sentiment chez le Tricolore, qu’avec la longue pause qu’on a eue après avoir liquidé le Lightning de Tampa Bay, qu’on sera avantagé plus la série se prolongera parce que plus frais et dispos. C’était en tout cas la prétention du joueur de centre David Desharnais, avant le début de la série.
La série à égalité 2-2 en est maintenant une au meilleur de trois. L’avantage de la glace n’a pas été un facteur jusqu’à maintenant.
«Tous les matchs ont été serrés, a relevé Therrien. Ce qui rend les choses intéressantes. Ça ne sera pas différent au prochain match.»
Le défenseur Josh Gorges a souligné l’importance pour ses coéquipiers et lui de vite refermer le tiroir du quatrième match, et se concentrer sur le suivant.
«Il n’y a plus rien qu’on puisse faire. Ça ne sert à rien de s’apitoyer sur son sort. Nous devons nous resserrer les coudes en vue du match numéro cinq. C’est tout ce qui compte.»
Gorges a ajouté qu’on réalise qu’on devra remporter un autre match sur la glace du TD Garden.
«C’est super d’avoir l’avantage de la glace, mais peu importe nous devons jouer de la même façon à domicile ou à l’étranger.»
Le défenseur a trouvé que l’équipe n’a pas bien joué en début de rencontre.
«La cohésion n’était pas au rendez-vous et les passes étaient imprécises. Nous devons identifier ce qui a mal fonctionné et s’assurer d’être meilleurs dans le cinquième match. Nous serons meilleurs.»
Les Bruins ont également fait la promesse qu’ils seront meilleurs à leur retour à la maison.
«La victoire est importante parce qu’elle nous replace dans la série, mais sans en diminuer la valeur je n’estime pas que nous avons joué notre meilleur hockey, a avancé Julien. Nous avons redoublé d’ardeur, mais je sais que notre équipe peut faire mieux. Nous travaillons là-dessus et nous espérons que cette victoire fera que nous serons meilleurs.»
Après trois duels à caractère offensif, les équipes ont versé dans l’étanchéité dans le quatrième affrontement.
Julien a soulevé comme explication que c’est parce que les deux équipes se connaissent parfaitement.
«On restreint les occasions de marquer à chacun des matchs. Ce soir, le Canadien n’a pas eu d’échappée franche. Nous en avions donné trois dans le match précédent, en incluant le but dans le filet désert.
«Des deux côtés, on fait les ajustements nécessaires. Cela dit, les deux gardiens ont été solides. Il y a eu de bonnes chances de marquer, de part et d’autre.»
Julien a dit souhaiter le réveil des membres de ses deux meilleurs trios, tout en soulignant que le Canadien espérait sans doute la même chose.
Sur la séquence du but, Price a expliqué avoir bien vu la trajectoire du disque après qu’il eut bondi contre la baie vitrée. C’est quand il est revenu devant lui qu’il l’a perdu de vue.
«La rondelle a frappé une jambière devant, et je ne la voyais plus.»
Price a dit que ce n’était pas une défaite particulièrement dure à avaler.
«Nous réalisons dans quelle situation nous nous retrouvons, a-t-il résumé. C’est maintenant une série deux-de-trois.»
jeudi 8 mai 2014
Boston vs Montreal : Bruins will be better in Game 4, Julien says
Source : faceoff.com
The Boston Bruins have only played with the lead in one game so far in their playoff series against the Canadiens — and even that was a short-lived experience last Saturday, despite the 5-3 score in their favour.
“It’s something that we haven’t been able to do for very long. It’s certainly one of the things we have to rectify,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said Wednesday at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard, where the team held an optional practice.
Getting shots through is another.
The Canadiens blocked more shots (29) on Tuesday in their 4-2 win than the Bruins got through (28), Julien said.
“We talked about trying to play with the lead, we talk about getting shots through and those are all adjustments that you have to make here as you move forward,” Julien said.
He also predicted his team would be better in Game 4 on Thursday (7:30 p.m., CBC, RDS, TSN Radio 690) at the Bell Centre.
“We’re a group that’s confident,” Julien said. “But we also have guys right now that are a little frustrated with themselves.
“They know they have to be better. They’re going to be better (Thursday) and that’s the confidence we have in our group. And that’s the way we’ve been in the past. And you’ve got to rely on those
guys to come up tomorrow and play the kind of game that they can.
“It’s a 2-1 series. It’s not the end of the world here. We’ve just got to battle back,” he added.
“There’s no reason to panic. We haven’t in the past and we’re not about to panic now.”
Near the end of the game with the Bruins pressing in the Canadiens’ zone, the net came off its moorings when defenceman P.K. Subban skated by, bumping into it. There was no penalty called on the play. When asked whether he thought it was done intentionally, Julien said: “This is all stuff that we can’t control.
“Referees make those calls and you move forward. ... If we rely on referees to give us the breaks than we certainly don’t have our focus in the right place,” the Bruins coach added.
“We need to make our own breaks. We have to look at ourselves and say listen did we play well enough (Tuesday) to win that game and we didn’t. So we can look at all this little stuff on the side that is something that we don’t control and complain about it. That’s not what we do. We have to be honest here and tell ourselves that we need to be better.”
Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli viewed Boston’s last game as “a game of frustration.”
“It’s a game of inches and consequently a game of details. So we have to be better at it,” Chiarelli said,.
“And we’re good at that. I think we’re a good team. We break out well. I think our neutral zone is good. I think our forecheck is good — it wasn’t as good as it should be, but that happens. So it’s a long series and we’ll see where it goes.”
Chiarelli declined to comment on Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask’s game. He called Rask, who is a finalist for the Vézina Trophy this season, perhaps one of the top two goaltenders in the world.
“I would expect him to play well and he’s one of many that have to play better,” the GM said.
Chiarelli said he believed the Bruins have to keep more focus on the details.
“I was asked about finding (shooting) lanes — to me, that’s detail you’ve got to be able to see the lane and to move to where the lane is,” he said. “The sustaining forecheck. It’s really meat and potatoes for us. It’s like sustaining a forecheck, wearing teams down.
“When we’re at the top of our game, that’s what we do. We haven’t done it yet.”
mercredi 7 mai 2014
Habs vs Bruins : Subban gets Bell Centre roaring
source : Faceoff.com
Thomas Vanek's pass to Tomas Plekanec was made with more velocity than some NHL players shoot the puck. Plekanec cradled it, roofed it over sprawling Boston goalie Tuukka Rask midway through Tuesday's first period and the 1-0 Canadiens' lead shook the Bell Centre to its foundation.
And then there was P.K.
Goodness, there was first-star P.K.
Defenceman P.K. Subban led mostly with his butt, Bruins' Reilly Smith in his crosshairs rushing across centre ice along the boards. Not only did Subban nearly vaporize Smith, he wiped out Vanek as collateral damage, sending his teammate to the dressing room for the final 7½ minutes of the period and himself to the penalty box for roughing.
Subban served his two minutes, then jumped in behind a surprised Bruins defence as he bolted from the box, sprinting in alone on Rask with a shifty deke to bury the puck in the Boston net four minutes after Plekanec's heroics.
When's the last time Montreal had an earthquake? About the time the goal light went on at 14:44 of the first, Subban wheeling away in celebration, his kneeling fist-pump a blurry mess on the scoreboard because the overhead camera was shaking in rhythm with the arena.
And then . . . Dale Weise.
When Weise is tiptoeing in behind the Bruins defence on a gorgeous pass from Daniel Brière and beating Rask on a breakaway midway through the second period, you figure the hockey gods have intervened.
Of course, this one got much more interesting than Canadiens fans would have liked, this city in need of one colossal defibrillator.
The Habs' 3-1 lead going into the third period was their third two-goal lead in a third period this series — Game 1 a double-overtime win, Game 2 a brutal loss.
And when Bruins defenceman Andrej Meszaros scored at 17:44 of the third, the horrid sense of déjà-vu, times two, gripped the Bell Centre.
That is, until Lars Eller — or Lahs Ellah, as he's known in Boston — hit an empty Bruins net with three seconds to play, giving the Habs a 4-2 victory and a 2-1 lead in this best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal.
"We've got a business attitude (as a team), we approach games with a business mindset. This is what I like about our group," Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien said.
The Habs left Boston Saturday night after their dreadful meltdown vowing to put the Game 2 loss behind them.
Not only did they win Game 3, but they remain perfect in this Ginette Reno Era, having won all three times this playoff season that the Quebec superstar has performed O Canada.
"We needed to have the right attitude to approach tonight's game and to play in front of our fans," Therrien said. "Guys were battling very hard, paying the price, blocking shots, and Carey (Price) made some key saves at the right time. It was a good team effort."
Therrien's counterpart, Claude Julien, said it was a lack of awareness that cost his Bruins dearly, pegging that as the reason for the Canadiens' first three goals before Eller's finishing nail.
"The first goal, (Plekanec) sneaking in the back door; breakaways, guys sneaking in from behind and (our) not knowing that it's the end of a power play, they should be looking at the guy coming out of the box," Julien said.
Indeed, Rask would say that he was not banging his stick on the ice at the end of Subban's penalty to warn his defencemen of the Canadien's imminent release.
"As usual, we kind of battled back and got ourselves in the game," Julien said. "But certainly, we dug ourselves a hole too big to get out of tonight.
"(The Canadiens) played a better game than they probably did in Boston but (we weren't) good enough at the start to give ourselves a chance."
The eve of this tilt began with Bruins' Torey Krug and Dougie Hamilton claiming they had figured out Price by having allegedly exposed in Game 2 his weakness up high in the Montreal net — as the Bruins had tried unsuccessfully last season to get into the head of Chicago netminder Corey Crawford.
In the hours before Tuesday's game, Julien tried to douse a little of the predictable conflagration.
"When you look at the beginning of the series and you have both goalies, I don't think there are any secrets," Julien said after the Bruins' morning skate. "I had Carey Price for several weeks with Team Canada (at the Sochi Olympics). He's one of the best goalies in the National Hockey League."
Price demonstrated that for the joyful home crowd, making a handful of superb stops — he finished with 26 saves — until Patrice Bergeron beat him with a deft deflection late in the second to make the score 3-1.
"I don't think we're here talking about weaknesses or things like that," Julien said of Price. "It's pretty obvious that, thanks to him, his team is very good at the moment. He's been playing some great hockey from the start. Some things said by a young player were taken out of context, and something bigger was made of it."
At least some of the off-ice uproar before Game 3 was reminiscent of what went down in Montreal before the Canadiens' 2010 quarter-final against the Washington Capitals.
Remember Plekanec, favourably comparing the Habs tandem of Jaroslav Halak and Price to Washington's Semyon Varlamov and José Theodore?
"I'm not saying their goalies are bad," Plekanec said then of the Caps. "I'm just saying our goalies are better."
Plekanec would be proven right, of course. Halak played mind-blowing goal, stopping 94 of 96 shots he faced in Games 6 and 7 — a .979 save percentage — then leading his team another two rounds in the post-season.
And four years later, on Tuesday against Boston, Plekanec got his team off to a rousing start toward a victory that was never in doubt.
Well, OK, it was in doubt. But for the home fans, the final result was as delicious as anything they'll serve in the finest cardiac ward in town.
Montreal vs Boston : Cette fois, le Canadien tient le coup
Source : 985sports.ca
Pour une troisième fois en autant de matchs dans sa série éliminatoire face aux Bruins, le Canadien a amorcé la troisième période du match de mardi avec une priorité.
Mais cette fois, les joueurs du Tricolore n'ont pas laissé filer l'avance malgré les efforts des joueurs de Boston et l'équipe de Michel Therrien l'a emporté 4-2 afin de prendre les devants deux victoires à une dans la série.
Le quatrième match sera présenté jeudi soir au Centre Bell.
Les faits saillants du match:
Tomas Plekanec, P.K. Subban, Dale Weise et Lars Eller, dans un filet désert, ont inscrit les buts du Canadien.
Patrice Bergeron et Jarome Iginla ont assuré la réplique pour les Bruins, chaque fois, en déjouant Carey Price à l'aide de tirs déviés. Price a vu 28 tirs dirigés vers lui. Tuukka Rask a fait face à 25 rondelles.
Subban a été la vedette individuelle à l'attaque avec une contribution d'un but et d'une passe. Celui qui totalise 11 points (trois buts, huit mentions d'aide) depuis le début des séries, est devenu le troisième défenseur de l'histoire du Canadien après Jean-Claude Tremblay et Larry Robinson à récolter deux points dans trois matchs d'affilée durant les éliminatoires.
Protéger l'avance
Le Canadien détenait une avance de 3-0 quand Bergeron a réduit l'écart à 3-1 en deuxième période. Les Bruins ont encore donné la frousse au Canadien en portant la marque à 3-2 à 17:44 de la troisième période, mais cette fois, le but suivant a été marqué par Eller avec trois secondes au cadran.
Michel Therrien avait prodécé à deux changements à sa formation. Douglas Murray a été inséré au sein de l'unité défensive à la place de Francis Bouillon.
Pour sa part, Travis Moen a été placé au sein du quatrième trio avec Daniel Brière et Dale Weise, et ce, à la place de Brandon Prust. Prust, Bouillon et White ont été laissés de côté.
Mais Therrien a aussi brassé ses cartes dès le début de la rencontre en envoyant Brendan Gallagher - dont c'était le 22e anniversaire - jouer avec Max Pacioretty et David Desharnais et en insérant Thomas Vanek avec Tomas Plekanec et Michaël Bournival.
Le film de la rencontre :
Première période :
La Canadien amorce le match en lion. P.K. Subban frappe solidement Patrice Bergeron le long de la bande d'entrée de jeu.
Lors d'un changement de trio, Rene Bourque en profite pour s'échapper sur l'aile gauche et son tir frappe le poteau des buts de Tuukka Rask.
On a failli revivre le scénario du premier match à Montréal contre le Lightning, quand Bourque avait marqué un but ultrarapide dès les premières secondes.
Zdeno Chara retraite au vestiaire pour les Bruins, vraisemblablement après avoir été blessé par un coup de bâton de Michaël Bournival.
Michel Therrien apporte des modifications de trio. Gallagher va jouer avec Max Pacioretty et David Desharnais.
Chara demeure quelques minutes dans le vestiaire des Bruins avant de revenir au banc des siens.
Gallagher rate une belle occasion de marquer à courte distance face à Rask, et sur la montée suivante des Bruins, Bergeron est gêné par Desharnais alors qu'il était en bonne position pour tromper Carey Price.
Sur la séquence suivante, Price bloque un tir qui semble anodin, mais il ne contrôle pas la rondelle. Les Bruins poursuivent l'attaque et le Canadien s'en sort sans casse, quoique de peine et de misère. Les joueurs étaient fatigués, notamment Murray qui a passé plus de deux minutes sur la patinoire.
Une passe transversale de Thomas Vanek à Tomas Plekanec permet à ce dernier de diriger un bon tir vers Rask qui résiste. Vanek joue présentement avec Plekanec et Bournival.
Le Canadien met de la pression en zone des Bruins avec un solide échec avant. Près du cercle de mise en jeu, Subban remet derrière lui à Vanek, posté à la ligne bleue.
Ce dernier dirige immédiatement une longue passe en croisé d'une précision redoutable à Plekanec qui loge facilement la rondelle derrière Rask. Bruins 0 Canadien 1.
Subban écope d'une pénalité en rudoyant Reilly Smith. Ironiquement, c'est son coéquipier Vanek qui encaisse le plus gros du choc. Avantage numérique aux Bruins.
Les Bruins s'installent dans la zone du Canadien, mais ils font de la dentelle et Weaver bloque une rondelle que Moen va finalement dégager.
Vers la fin de la pénalité de Subban, les Bruins perdent la rondelle dans la zone du Canadien et Lars Eller prend le contrôle du disque. La Danois voit Subban qui sort du banc des pénalités et il lui sert une passe parfaite.
Subban se présente seul devant Rask et il le couche le gardien de Boston à l'aide d'une superbe feinte. Le Centre Bell explose! Bruins 0 Canadien 2.
« P.K. ! P.K. ! P.K. ! » La foule du Centre Bell scande à répétition le prénom du défenseur vedette. Mine de rien, Subban a inscrit trois buts et amassé huit mentions d'aide depuis le début des séries.
Vanek n'est toujours pas revenu au banc du Canadien depuis le choc avec Subban et Smith.
Price fait deux solides arrêts avant la fin de l'engagement.
Tirs au but par:
Bruins: 10 - 0 - 0 : 10
Canadien: 9 - 0 - 0 : 9
Deuxième période:
Vanek est de retour au banc du Canadien pour le début de la deuxième période.
Lors d'un trois-contre-deux, Eller fait une mauvaise passe en retrait qui permet à Lucic de faire marche arrière et de s'offrir un bon tir sur Price.
On note un peu moins d'intensité après une première période survoltée et plus d'arrêts de jeu, aussi.
Le Canadien s'offre une montée à quatre-contre-deux et Pacioretty opte de tirer sur Rask qui n'est pas inquiété.
Price s'offre un autre arrêt solide contre Torey Krug qui décoche un puissant tir en provenance de l'aile droite. Vanek fait de même contre Rask quelques secondes plus tard.
Pacioretty se fait offrir une occasion sur un plateau d'argent quand les Bruins perdent la rondelle dans leur zone, mais il ne trompe pas Rask et Gallagher ne peut faire mieux.
Dougie Hamilton s'élance au centre, il remet derrière lui à Jarome Iginla et son tir - dévié? - s'écrase sur le poteau du but de Carey Price qui semblait battu. Un poteau de chaque côté ce soir.
Une minute plus tard, c'est Price qui s'illustre. Daniel Pallie centre pour Carl Soderberg qui rate son premier tir à courte distance et le gardien du Canadien étouffe la menace en stoppant le second.
Gionta contourne le filet de Rask et il passe tout près de surprendre le gardien avec un tourniquet.
Solide tir frappé de Bourque sur Rask. Bloqué.
Josh Gorges rate son dégagement et Torye Krug vient frapper à la porte de Price qui est repoussé au fond de son filet par un joueur des Bruins. Par acquit de conscience, on demande à jeter un oeil à la reprise vidéo. Confirmé. Pas de but.
Les Bruins sont en zone adverse. Weaver bloque un tir à la défense. Brière reprend la rondelle livre et il alimente parfaitement Dale Weise qui s'avance seul devant Rask et qui marque! Bruins 0 Canadien 3.
Passe de Desharnais à Weise dont le tir frappé est bloqué par Kevan Miller. Weise rate ensuite une rondelle quelques secondes plus tard. Miller quitte la patinoire.
Après une mise en jeu à la gauche de Price. Un tir de Krug parti de la pointe se retrouve derrière Price après avoir été dévié avec brio par Patrice Bergeron à 17:48. Bruins 1 Canadien 3.
Lors de la séquence suivante, Soderberg entre en contact avec Price et il ne peut prétendre que Desharnais l'a poussé. La foule rouspète. L'arbitre ne sévit pas.
Brad Marchand dispute avec succès une rondelle à Alexei Emelin et il s'offre un bon tir sur Price dans les dernières secondes de la période.
Tirs au but par:
Bruins: 10 - 12 - 0 : 22
Canadien: 9 - 12 - 0 : 21
Troisième période:
Encore une fois, le Canadien amorce la troisième période avec une avance, mais les Bruins ont marqué sept buts en troisième période lors des premier et deuxième matchs de la série...
Et le Canadien se retrouve dans l'eau chaude dès le départ avec les Bruins qui tirent à profusion vers Price. La tactique a été profitable lors des deux premières rencontres.
Gallagher tire avec force vers Rask avec un tir d'une vingtaine de pieds en se retournant sur lui-même. Un bel arrêt.
La tendance se maintient. Même à cinq-contre-cinq, les Bruins circulent avec aisance dans la zone du Canadien qui arrive à s'en extirper avec peine. Le vent tourne.
Seulement quatre tirs au but dans les sept premières minutes de jeu de la troisième période par les deux équipes, un seul pour le Canadien.
Pacioretty centre pour Gallagher qui semble être accroché par Krug dans sa course vers le filet. Pas de punition.
Hamilton entre ensuite dans la zone du Canadien à fond de train. Il passe à Soderberg qui s'écrase sur Price qui en perd son casque. Pénalité indiscutable. La première décernée aux Bruins ce soir.
Le Canadien en fait rien qui vaille durant la première minute. Dans la deuxième, le bon jeu de Subban à la ligne bleue permet au Canadien de tirer une fois sur Rask, mais il repart les mains vides.
Moins de sept minutes à jouer. Les Bruins lancent des attaquent à profusion et le Canadien joue la contre-attaque à outrance. Le Tricolore, encore une fois, joue sur les talons.
Weaver bloque encore une fois un tir de la pointe d'un défenseur des Bruins. Puis, c'est au tour de Gallagher, ce qui permet presque à Pacioretty de s'échapper... mais ça ne sera pas le cas.
Vanek frappe le poteau avec un tir frappé après une belle remise de Plekanec. La foule est debout. Moins de quatre minutes à jouer.
Gallagher donne un très léger coup d'épaule à Rask à la fin d'un jeu. Tout demeure sous contrôle.
Les Bruins sont dans la zone du Canadien quand Claude Julien retire son gardien. La tactique fonctionne. Iginla fait dévier un tir de la pointe d'Andrej Meszaros. Bruins 2 Canadien 3.
Les Bruins retirent encore leur gardien à la remise en jeu et se massent dans la zone du Canadien qui arrive à dégager. Arrêt de jeu et temps d'arrêt des Bruins avec 62 secondes à jouer. Mise en jeu en zone neutre.
Une rondelle lancée par le Canadien rate le filet désert de peu et se transforme en dégagement refusé: 51 secondes au cadran.
Travis Moen démolit Iginla d'un coup d'épaule et le projette dans la bande. On reprend en zone neutre: 23 secondes à jouer.
Le but du Canadien quitte ses amarres quand Subban frappe le filet de Price. Dix secondes à jouer...
Lars Eller fonce vers la rondelle après la mise en jeu, il déjoue Krug et il marque dans un filet abandonné pour confirmer la victoire. Bruins 2 Canadien 4.
Tirs au but par:
Bruins: 10 - 12 - 6 : 28
Canadien: 9 - 12 - 5 : 26
Les trios du Canadien durant l'échauffement:
Pacioretty-Desharnais-Vanek
Bournival-Plekanec-Gallagher
Bourque-Eller-Gionta
Moen-Brière-Weise
À lire également:
Bourque de retour
Les médias ont profité de l'inexpérience de Hamilton
lundi 5 mai 2014
Canadiens vs Bruins : Habs accentuating the positives after Game 2 loss
Source : faceoff.com
Songwriter Johnny Mercer offered that sage advice 70 years ago and coach Michel Therrien will take it into consideration as the Canadiens prepare to face the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal Tuesday night at the Bell Centre (7 p.m., CBC, RDS, TSN Radio 690).
When the Canadiens resume practice Monday morning in Brossard, Therrien will encourage his team to continue doing the things it did well on its way to earning a split of the first two games in Boston.
At the same time, Therrien said Sunday he won’t hesitate to point out the areas of the game where the Canadiens have to tighten up.
“We always make adjustments and we’ll look at the tape and tomorrow we’ll work on the areas where we need to get better,” the coach said.
Here’s a look at some of the positives and negatives going into Game 3:
Positive: The Canadiens broke even in Boston, winning 4-3 in double-overtime in Game 1 before losing 5-3 Saturday in a game they led 3-1 with 10 minutes to play.
“We went to play two games in one of the toughest places to play in the National Hockey League and we’re out of there with the series tied,” Therrien said. “That’s the big picture.”
Negative: The Canadiens could have — should have? — left Boston with a 2-0 lead in the series. On Saturday, the Canadiens took a 3-1 lead early in the third period on Thomas Vanek’s second power-play goal of the game and the Bruins had managed only one shot on goal in the period before Dougie Hamilton scored at 10:56. The momentum swung to the Bruins and Patrice Bergeron and Reilly Smith scored before Milan Lucic applied the finishing touch with an empty-netter.
Positive: Goaltender Carey Price starred in Game 1 with a 48-save performance and had the Canadiens in a position to win Game 2 before a series of blown coverages and deflections allowed the Bruins to come back.
Negative: His teammates aren’t making life easy for Price. The Bruins have spent too much time in the Canadiens’ zone and have had too many good looks at the goal. In Game 1, the Bruins had 51 shots on goal, but teed it up 98 times. Thirty shots were blocked and 17 were off target. The Canadiens tightened up a bit in Game 2, but while Therrien noted the Bruins had only one shot in the first 10 minutes of the third period, Boston outshot Montreal 35-28.
Positive: The Canadiens now have the home-ice advantage with three of five remaining games at the Bell Centre and Therrien said he expects the sellout crowd to give his team a lift.
Negative: The Bruins’ only win over the Canadiens in the regular season was a 4-1 decision at the Bell Centre on March 12. The home venue didn’t mean much in the regular season with the Canadiens winning 23 games at home and 23 away. Until he won Saturday afternoon, Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask’s only wins against Montreal were at the Bell Centre.
Positive: The Canadiens have held two-goal leads in the first two games of the series.
Negative: Whether it’s the resilient nature of the Bruins or a lapse on the part of the Canadiens, Montreal has had difficulty holding a lead. The Bruins came back from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits in Game 1 to force overtime and came back from down 3-1 in the third period to win in Game 2.
Positive: The Canadiens’ power play has come to life with a huge effort from P.K. Subban. The defenceman scored two power-play goals — including the game-winner — in Game 1, and his shot lead to two deflection goals for Vanek in Game 2. The Canadiens are 4-for-9 on the power play in this series, while the Bruins are 0-for-5.
Negative: Montreal’s top line of Max Pacioretty, David Desharnais and Vanek has to do more. The Patrice Bergeron line has held them in check, but the situation may be better in Montreal, where it will be more difficult for Bruins coach Claude Julien to match lines.
Positive: Therrien believes his team gained confidence from the split in Boston and dismissed the notion the Bruins will carry some momentum from their comeback in Game 2.
Negative: The Bruins are also talking about confidence after dodging a bullet in Game 2.
dimanche 4 mai 2014
Habs vs Bruins : City on alert for mayhem as tense Montreal-Boston hockey war plays out on ice
Source : faceoff.com
With tensions already running high between the hometown Canadiens and their arch rival Boston Bruins, city officials say they're staying vigilant to ensure the passion doesn't morph into mayhem on Montreal streets.
The city has garnered a reputation during recent NHL playoff runs for its jubilant, spontaneous celebrations that occasionally deteriorate into rampages highlighted by vandalism, looting and violence.
In the only Canadian city hosting playoff hockey this year and with the team's biggest rivals in town, authorities say they're ready for anything with the series tied 1-1 heading back to Montreal.
Anie Samson, a member of the city's executive committee, said the administration is prepared ahead of Tuesday's Game 3 at the Bell Centre.
"We are concerned about (potential problems), but we are working with the police and we have a plan," said the city councillor in charge of public security. "We are ready and we hope it's going to work."
The city is expected to decide whether it will limit traffic on Ste-Catherine Street on game nights. The downtown core is always ground zero for both the celebration and the carnage.
Montreal's history of Stanley Cup riots is well documented, with the Canadiens' most recent Stanley Cup triumphs in 1986 and 1993 marred by hooliganism. What's more alarming is that in recent years, an early-round victory has been enough to set off rioting.
The worst came in April 2008 after the Canadiens' seventh-game playoff win against the Bruins. It culminated with police cars being burned and downtown businesses being looted.
At least 16 people were arrested and damages to police property was evaluated at $500,000.
The looting played out again in May 2010, with windows smashed amid clashes between rioters and police on Ste-Catherine Street following a defeat of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round.
There were more than 25 arrests and police were able to track down other vandals and looters using images and videos that were widely circulated on social media. Some citizens even sent police their own images, angry at the acts of mischief.
Montreal police Sgt. Laurent Gingras said he could not go into specific tactics on dealing with potential trouble.
"The message we're sending is that it's OK for you to celebrate, but we're here and we'll keep an eye out," Gingras said in an interview.
Those smashed windows and images of looting are still fresh for some downtown business owners. An association that represents them says there is always some trepidation.
"There's a certain level of worry because we've felt the negative effects during the playoffs," said Andre Poulin, who heads Destination Centre Ville. "But at the same time, we're confident the police will deploy necessary resources to protect our businesses."
Police are a lot better versed in dealing with massive crowds this time around. Student protests that were a near-nightly occurrence in 2012 allowed many officers to get hands-on experience as well as for the brain trust to put tactical theory into practice.
"We've improved the way certain (tactical) groups work (because of 2012) and the officers have all gained a tremendous amount of experience on the ground," said Gingras.
Gingras notes there is better communication — both with the public through Twitter and with businesses through a variety of tools to ensure everyone is prepared. There is also increased efficiency in moving around town, with bicycle units and horse cavalry having been added since 2008.
The plan is evolving, game-by-game, Gingras said.
"We're keeping a close eye, we know when the games are on and we change the plan accordingly," said Gingras. "That will obviously change if the team goes deeper into the playoffs."
Police were on the ready after the Canadiens engineered a four-game first round sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning. No one was arrested, although one person was cited for excessive use of a car horn.
But the Bruins series brings a different level of intensity. It was in Montreal in March 2011 when a hit to Max Pacioretty by Bruins captain Zdeno Chara led to the city's 911 service being inundated with criminal complaints.
The Canadiens hockey club will keep its focus on the ice.
Team spokesman Donald Beauchamp said the Habs will leave it to the city to follow the situation.
During previous incidents, police have said it wasn't Habs fans involved, rather people using the cover of tens of thousands of revellers to cause damage.
"It's not where the problem arises from, it's not people inside the Bell Centre," Beauchamp said from Boston. "It's more of a public situation and in this case, the authorities have taken the matter into their own hands, and very properly."
And at least one Habs legend believes cooler heads will prevail.
Guy Lafleur said he doesn't necessarily think the ingredients are there this time around. But he briefly joked with reporters there might be one thing that could trigger an outpouring: a second straight Canadiens sweep.
"Maybe if the Canadiens win in four," Lafleur said with a laugh, adding quickly he still didn't foresee any problems.
samedi 3 mai 2014
Habs vs Bruins : Montreal coach says Canadiens have to be better in Game 2 against Bruins
source : faceoff.com
Asked if the Canadiens dodged a bullet in Game 1 against the Bruins, Montreal coach Michel Therrien opted for a different view of his team's 4-3 double-overtime win.
"The good news is we found a way to win. That's the most important thing," he told reporters Friday.
"And we all know we're capable of being better. And we will (be).
"But (goaltender) Carey Price was outstanding. He was tough to beat (Thursday night)."
Despite the win, Therrien's message was that his team has to be better in Game 2 of the second-round playoff series Saturday.
Boston outshot Montreal 51-33 Thursday, climbing back from a 2-0 hole to force overtime. Price turned the surging Bruins back again and again, giving his team a chance to win. P.K. Subban obliged with the double-overtime winner.
"We played against the best team in the league and you need goaltending," Therrien said. "Certainly Carey Price gave us that type of performance. He was phenomenal. It's good for the confidence of the team.
"Like I said, we know as a team we could be better. We liked the way we finished the year. We liked the way we played the first round."
Boston coach Claude Julien dismissed the idea that Price might get into his players' heads.
"There's a lot of good goaltenders in this league," he said. "We've got one (in Tuukka Rask).
"And we basically still got three goals on him last night ... We've just got to play our game and the chances are there. I'm going to go back to what I said earlier — bury those great opportunities. We played well, but there were a lot of open nets that we missed, there was a lot of chances that if we would have shot them properly, instead of panicking maybe, we get ourselves a goal."
Therrien thought his team showed the rust of not having played since the April 22 completion of the Tampa Bay Lightning sweep.
But there were positives. The Montreal power play finally clicked, going 2-for-3 on the night with both goals coming from Subban.
And the Canadiens, who managed 43 hits combined in the two games in Tampa, dished out 45 Thursday night in Boston. Still the Bruins outhit them 56-45 on the night.
Asked about having to play a 12:30 p.m. ET start Saturday, Therrien laughed and said, "We had no choice."
The Canadiens had a team meeting Friday and most of the players hit the gym.
Therrien mixed up his lines during Game 1, with perhaps only the trio of Lars Eller, Brian Gionta and Rene Bourque standing out.
"We tried to use them as much as we can in good situations, to help the team win." said Therrien.
"But that's part of coaching," he added. "Sometimes you can not be afraid to make some changes."
Thomas Vanek, who plays on the top line with David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty, has somehow become the poster boy for the need for improvement.
"There's a few players on our team who I believe need to step up our game regarding (Thursday night) and he's one of them," Therrien said of Vanek. "I'm not here to mention any names but as a group we've got to be better and we will.
"I'm not worried and we're glad that we've got Thomas Vanek in our lineup because he can be a dangerous guy to the other teams."
Vanek, who was minus-one and did not have a shot in Game 1, did not shy away from the issue.
"Last night as a line, even as a team, I don't think we played well. I think Carey carried us the whole game and then stole us the game. Subbie (Subban) stepped up and had a big goal. I think we're not ignorant (of the need) for us being better as a line and myself as an individual."
Canadien vs Bruins : Prise 2
source : tvasports.ca
Le Canadien de Montréal doit garder les yeux sur son objectif immédiat : vaincre les Bruins de Boston.
Et cet après-midi, la troupe de Michel Therrien aura l’occasion de doubler son avance dans sa série contre ses ennemis de longue date.
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Les Bruins ont vivement réagi aux plus de 17 000 messages Twitter avec le mot-clic #Nigger. L’organisation du Canadien a élevé sa voix et plusieurs partisans des Bruins se sont sentis dégoûtés par ces commentaires racistes.
Une page Facebook a d’ailleurs été créée afin d’appuyer Subban. L’objectif était d’atteindre 10 000 mentions j’aime avant minuit, vendredi. Samedi matin, il y avait plus de 25 000 mentions j’aime.
Bref, l’histoire n’a laissé personne de glace. Les joueurs, tant du Canadien que des Bruins, devront maintenant donc mettre cet épisode de côté et se concentrer sur le match qui les attend.
Et cet après-midi, la troupe de Michel Therrien aura l’occasion de doubler son avance dans sa série contre ses ennemis de longue date.
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- Les Bruins réagissent
- Subban fait taire ses détracteurs
Les Bruins ont vivement réagi aux plus de 17 000 messages Twitter avec le mot-clic #Nigger. L’organisation du Canadien a élevé sa voix et plusieurs partisans des Bruins se sont sentis dégoûtés par ces commentaires racistes.
Une page Facebook a d’ailleurs été créée afin d’appuyer Subban. L’objectif était d’atteindre 10 000 mentions j’aime avant minuit, vendredi. Samedi matin, il y avait plus de 25 000 mentions j’aime.
Bref, l’histoire n’a laissé personne de glace. Les joueurs, tant du Canadien que des Bruins, devront maintenant donc mettre cet épisode de côté et se concentrer sur le match qui les attend.
vendredi 2 mai 2014
Canadiens vs Bruins : P.K. Subban lifts Habs to 2OT win over Bruins in series opener
Source : Espn.com
Twice the Montreal Canadiens took the lead in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the rival Bruins.
Twice they allowed Boston to tie it.
Heading into the locker room after a lackluster third period cost them a chance at a regulation victory, Carey Price knew there was still a chance to recover.
"We all realized the game was still up for grabs, and feeling sorry for yourself is not the best way to go about things," the Montreal goalie said after making 48 saves to lead the Canadiens to a 4-3, double-overtime victory over Boston on Thursday.
P.K. Subban scored his second goal of the game at 4:17 of the second overtime, and the Canadiens won in Boston to take home-ice advantage from the team that had the NHL's best record in the regular season. Game 2 is back at the TD Garden on Saturday.
Rene Bourque and Francis Bouillon also scored for the Canadiens, who blew 2-0 and 3-2 leads in the third period. Subban's second goal came 7 seconds into Montreal's second power play of overtime, leading fans to pelt the ice with cups and giveaway towels as the players filed off to the locker rooms.
"They were the best team in the league all season long. They had a good first round; they played a solid game tonight," Montreal coach Michel Therrien said. "But us, we found a way to win."
Reilly Smith, Torey Krug and Johnny Boychuk scored for Boston, and Tuukka Rask made 29 saves. The Bruins, who never led in the game, had several other good chances in the third period and first overtime, with pucks hitting the crossbar and trickling across the crease but failing to cross the line.
"(We) don't get frustrated after one game," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "Had lots of chances, and we showed some resiliency. Have to find a way to bury those great opportunities we had. That is the regret."
The Bruins outshot the Canadiens 14-6 in the third period as they twice rallied to tie it. Montreal picked up a power play at the end of the first overtime and failed to score, and then another when Matt Bartkowski was sent off for taking down Dale Weise in the crease to keep him from getting to a loose puck.
The Canadiens won the ensuing faceoff and worked the puck around to Subban, who slapped it past Rask to end the game.
"We don't win that faceoff and we don't get that shot away," Subban said. "We've played against these guys for more than a few times, and the Bruins are a resilient team. They always battle back and find a way but we were resilient tonight also."
The 34th postseason series between the two Original Six rivals began without much of the intensity of past matchups. Only after the Bruins fell behind 2-0 did they seem to realize they were in trouble.
When Josh Gorges was sent off for holding 14 minutes into the second period -- Boston's first power play of the game -- the Bruins repeatedly tested Price, holding the possession in the Canadiens' zone virtually the whole 2 minutes and getting several good scoring chances.
Dougie Hamilton hit the crossbar and Jarome Iginla missed a wide-open net, leaving Montreal's 2-0 lead intact heading into the third period. But no longer were the Bruins being pushed around.
Smith wristed one past a screened Price with less than 3 minutes gone in the third period to make it a one-goal game. Shortly after another unsuccessful power play, Milan Lucic muscled his way through the defense and passed it to Krug for a slap shot that went past Price's left skate.
Bouillon gave Montreal the lead again, finishing off a scramble in front of the net. But with 2 minutes left, the Bruins won a faceoff in the Canadiens' end, kept the puck in and then worked it around to Boychuk, who slapped it past Price to send the game into overtime.
Game notes
Montreal won 24 of the previous 33 playoff series, but the Bruins have won seven of the past 11 and two in a row. In 2011, on their way to the Stanley Cup championship, the Bruins beat Montreal in seven games in the first round after losing the first two at home. ... Montreal won three of four in the regular season. ... Lars Eller has a point in all five Montreal playoff games so far.
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