NHL : Pittsburgh au bord du gouffre

source : hockeyhebdo.com

Situation impensable il y'a de cela quelques semaines mais qui pourrait se produire ce soir, les Pens de Sidney Crosby pourraient être absents des séries de la Coupe Stanley après leur nouvelle défaite d'hier, au Consol Energy Center, contre les New York Islanders 3-1. Les joueurs de Mike Johnston n'y arrivent plus, n'ayant pas gagné un match ce mois ci (0-4-1) et joueront leur destin contre Buffalo ce soir.

Soyons clair, si les Penguins n'arrivent pas à battre Buffalo, la pire équipe de la ligue dans un match couperet, alors ils n'ont rien à faire en playoffs. D'ailleurs on pourra s'interroger sur leur futur parcours en séries car pour le moment, et même si ils venaient à se qualifier, on ne donne pas cher de leur peau lors d'un premier tour contre les Rangers. De plus et même si on pouvait s'y attendre, Kris Letang, le défenseur numéro un de cette équipe, ne rejouera pas cette saison.

Avec sa défaite d'hier contre Columbus 4-2, qui finit la saison en boulet de canon, les Sabres de Buffalo sont assurés de finir derniers de la ligue et se trouvent du coup en bonne position pour la draft où ils viseront le phènomène Connor McDavid. Ils s'inclinent contre une étonnante formation des Blue Jackets qui a pris des point lors des 12 derniers matchs (11-0-1).

Les Jets en séries, les Kings, champions en titre, éliminés

source : radio-canada.ca

Les Jets se sont qualifiés pour les éliminatoires pour la première fois depuis leur retour à Winnipeg, jeudi soir, à Denver.

Les Jets se sont inclinés 1-0 en tires de barrage devant l'Avalanche du Colorado, mais le point acquis, combiné à la défaite des Kings de Los Angeles 3-1 à Calgary, les a assurés d'une place dans les éliminatoires.

Les Kings, champions en titre de la coupe Stanley, subissent ainsi l'élimination. De leur côté, les Flames obtiennent une place en séries pour la première fois depuis six ans. Ils affronteront les Canucks de Vancouver au premier tour.

C'est la première fois que les champions en titre sont écartés des séries depuis 2006-07, quand cela est arrivé aux Hurricanes de la Caroline.

Dans la rencontre au Colorado, les Jets ont bombardé Reto Berra de 41 tirs, tandis qu'Ondrej Pavelec a fait face à 21 tirs.

Pavelec a cédé devant Ryan O'Reilly et Matt Duchene lors des tirs de barrage, tandis qu'à l'autre bout, Berra a repoussé Blake Wheeler et Andrew Ladd.

Les Jets, qui ont remporté leurs quatre dernières rencontres, atteignent donc les séries pour la première fois depuis le retour dans la capitale manitobaine, pour la saison 2011-12.
Les partisans des Jets n'ont pas vu leur équipe locale en séries depuis 1996.

Si les séries commençaient aujourd'hui...

source : 985sports.ca

Évidemment il reste encore des matchs à jouer et le portrait des affrontements au premier tour des séries éliminatoires dans la LNH pourrait changer d'allure d'ici le dernier jour du calendrier régulier, le 11 avril.

Il est toutefois intéressant de jeter un coup d’œil sur ce que seraient les quarts de finale de Conférence si les éliminatoires débutaient aujourd’hui.

Dans l’Est le Canadien, encore premier de la division Atlantique, ferait face aux Penguins de Pittsburgh, première équipe repêchée. Le Tricolore a fait face à la bande de Sid the Kid à trois reprises cette saison, subissant deux défaites de 4-0 et 2-1 (P) à domicile. Montréal l’a toutefois emporté 4-1 à Pittsburgh.

Les trois autres série de la Conférence de l’Est mettraient aux prises, les Rangers de New York, premier la Conférence et premier de la division Metrpolitaine, et les Bruins de Boston, deuxième équipe repêchée.

Les deuxièmes et troisième des divisions seraient les adversaires des deux autres séries. Ainsi dans l’Atlantique, le Ligthning de Tampa Bay jouerait contre les Red Wings de Detroit tandis que dans la Métropolitaine ce serait les Capitals de Washington et les Islanders de New York.

Dans la Conférence de l’Ouest, les Ducks d’Anaheim, premier de la Conférence et de la division Pacifique auraient pour adversaires leurs voisins, les Kings de Los Angeles, deuxième équipe repêchée. Le Predators de Nashville, premier de la Centrale verraient débarquer chez eux le Wild du Minnesota, première équipe repêchée dans l’Ouest.

Comme dans les l’Est les deux autres séries mettraient en scène le deuxième et le troisième des divisions : pour la Centrale, les Blues de St-Louis et les Blackhawks de Chicago et dans la Pacifique, une série canadienne entre les Canucks de Vancouver et les Flames de Calgary.

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.

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.

Bruins hope lesson learned from Leafs series serves them well against Red Wings

Source : faceoff.com

Milan Lucic wasn't 15 minutes removed from celebrating an emotional overtime victory when he recalled what happened to the Boston Bruins against the Toronto Maple Leafs a year ago.

"We were in this position last year, same thing, winning Game 4 in overtime in Toronto and we all know what happened after that," he said.

What looked like the Bruins coasting turned into a memorable series. Boston wound up advancing after the Leafs' even-more-memorable Game 7 collapse, but it's the lesson from letting it get that far that has the Bruins focused on trying to finish off the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday.

Boston took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series with Detroit following a 3-2 overtime victory Thursday night.

"We all know how hard it is to close out a series and we all know how desperate they're going to be heading into Saturday," Lucic said. "You don't want to do anything to give the other team life in a series."

In the 2013 Eastern Conference quarter-finals, the Leafs got life thanks to a stellar performance from James Reimer and goals by Tyler Bozak and Clarke MacArthur. No doubt Detroit could do the same thing in Game 5 at TD Garden if goalie Jonas Gustavsson catches lightning in a bottle and the same young Detroit players who led the club into the playoffs find some kind of scoring touch.

Through four games, Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar and Riley Sheahan all have no points. Game 4 wasn't a shining moment for any of them.

"I didn't know if we had a lot of good players, especially our young guys," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "When I go through and look at 'em I don't go, 'He had a great game, he had a great game.' I don't do that at all. They were dressed."

Babcock conceded earlier in the day the playoffs are a difficult time of year and young players must "learn how to play" under this kind of pressure.

The Bruins are used to that. Even though Boston is getting contributions from young players like defencemen Dougie Hamilton and Torrey Krug and even forward Justin Florek, this core group has been through post-season wars and knows what to expect.

That includes now, being ahead in a series and able to remember how things fell apart against Toronto.

"You can't really describe it with words. You just go out there and use those experiences," centre David Krejci said. "It happens everything so fast out there. You've got to use what happened in the past and learn from it."

Lucic, who brought up the Leafs series unprompted following Thursday night's win, also pointed to blowing a series lead against the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup final as something he and his teammates can't forget.

"We've learned a lot of hard lessons in the past, like Toronto, and fortunately we were able to get out of that one and move on," he said.

Brad Marchand knows from plenty of playoff experience that the Red Wings will be a desperate group Saturday afternoon. Detroit has captain Henrik Zetterberg back and nowhere to go but on to Game 6 or home for the off-season.

"We're going into Boston to win one game," Red Wings defenceman Niklas Kronwall said. "That's got to be our mindset: Clean up the areas that we have to clean up and just go for it. We've got nothing to lose."

Pegged as favourites to come out of the Eastern Conference, the Bruins have everything to lose. They're in an advantageous spot now, one victory away from facing the Montreal Canadiens in the Atlantic Division final and armed with the memory of last year.

"We're not taking anything for granted here," Lucic said. "We can talk about it all we want, but it's going to show in our play."

Chicago : Bickell chose chasing Cup instead of World Series

Source : Nhl.com



Chicago Blackhawks forward Bryan Bickell has become a prominent figure during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, taking on a key offensive role for a team seeking to win its second championship in four seasons.

Bickell, 27, scored eight goals over the first three rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs -- one fewer than he had in 48 regular-season games. In the Western Conference Final, Bickell scored goals in three consecutive games, then added a pair of assists in the clinching Game 5 win against the Los Angeles Kings.

Bickell was shut out through the first three games in the Stanley Cup Final, but he came through with two assists in Game 4 on Wednesday as the Blackhawks beat the Boston Bruins 6-5 to tie the best-of-7 series at 2-2.

He has been gracious enough to agree to keep a player blog that will appear on NHL.com throughout the series against Boston.
In his latest entry, Bickell writes about how he got his start in hockey:

CHICAGO -- With the extra day off in between Games 4 and 5, I figured it would be a good time to actually introduce myself to all the readers in the proper way by giving my backstory for how I got into hockey and how I got to the National Hockey League.

I grew up in Orono, Ontario, and like most kids I wanted to learn how to play hockey. But when I was 4 years old my parents said they wanted me to learn how to skate first. They got me into doing what we call CanSkate, which is a learn-to-skate program.
 
It was almost like a carnival. We'd dress up in costumes and they'd teach us how to do certain circles and stop in certain places. The older kids in it were figure skaters and they did their thing, but I did it for a few years so I could learn how to skate. My parents wanted me to learn before I played hockey. 
It's probably the smart way to go about it.

It was about two years later when I first started playing the game. I was six now and I suited up in a recreation league in Orono. I had a blast and I played there for a couple of years before my parents were like, 'Oh, he's actually pretty good.' That's when we went up to Lindsay, Ontario, so I could play at the Triple-A level and see how it would work out.

Well, it worked out. I was around 12 at this point and I played there for another couple of years before I decided I needed to go play at a higher level, play with some better players and have some better competition. The only way to do it was to go to Toronto, so that's what we did.

When I was 14 years old, I moved in with a family in Ajax, Ontario, which is about a 45-minute drive from Orono, my hometown. I would live in Orono with my parents on the weekends and with one of my teammate's families during the week so I could go to school there.

I ran into Dave Bolland when I was in Ajax. We played for the Toronto Red Wings starting at 14 years old. I remember we went up to play in a Pee-Wee Tournament in Quebec, and that's where we first got to play against Alex Ovechkin. He beat us in a shootout. He was good then and he's good now.

I went back to Lindsay the following year to play at the Bantam level. I needed to do it to build my skill, etc. But then I went back to Toronto and played with Bolland on the Red Wings again. It was a real roller-coaster. We were 15 years old at the time and just starting to realize that maybe, just maybe, we could make a career out of this.

When you're playing hockey as a kid you just want to play because it's fun and you enjoy it with your friends -- but right around this time is when I could tell hockey could be more than just a game for me. My parents were behind me 110 percent and did whatever they had to do to get me on my long road trips to the next game. They would get me there and leave it up to me how I wanted to carry on.

We ended up winning the Bantam Cup with the Toronto Red Wings, and soon after I got drafted by the Ottawa 67s in the second round of the Ontario Hockey League draft. I played for the legendary Brian Kilrea for 3 1/2 years before he traded me to Windsor for the second half of my final year in the OHL.

The funny thing is I would also play baseball in the summer because my parents wanted me to shift my focus away from hockey for at least a little while. They didn't want me to be thinking about hockey all the time. I got pretty good at baseball, so much so that when I was 15 the New York 
Yankees came to scout me.

I tried out for Team Ontario at 15 even though most of the players on the team were going to be 16. They liked me but told me they were going with the 16 year olds and that I should try again next year, when I was 16. Well, next year came, but I went to the OHL Finals with the 67s so during the prime baseball and scouting time I was still playing hockey.

That's when I realized I needed to choose, and it was not really a choice. Growing up Canadian, you dream of becoming a hockey player, not a baseball player. If I didn't play hockey, maybe if the 67s didn't go to the OHL Finals that year, I'm not sure if I would have had a chance to make it as a baseball player. I was a pretty good centerfielder, though.

Baseball will come back for me after the Cup Final is over because the Cubs have invited me to throw out the first pitch and take batting practice.

Anyway, back to hockey: The Blackhawks drafted me and Bolland in the second round of the 2004 NHL Draft. They had four picks in that round. They were not a very good team at the time, but we knew it was a good opportunity to get started.

I started my pro hockey career in Norfolk of the American Hockey League, but after a year there the Blackhawks wanted to have their minor-league team closer so we moved to Rockford, Ill. I was up and down for a while before I became a full-time player here three seasons ago -- and now I'm trying to fulfill the dream of winning the Stanley Cup.

Senators pound Canadiens 6-1, take 2-1 series lead

Source : Yahoo.com

After getting his first NHL hat trick, Jean-Gabriel Pageau was left with a bloody smile after the Senators' Game 3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night.

The 20-year-old rookie lost a tooth in a fight-filled, emotional 6-1 win.

The teams combined for 236 penalty minutes and nine players were given a game misconduct.

The Senators have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and Game 4 is Tuesday night in Ottawa.
Pageau, with his first career playoff goal, gave the Senators a 2-1 lead early in the second as he slipped between defensemen P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov to beat Carey Price over the shoulder.
Pageau is not likely to forget the goal as he was hit in the mouth by Subban on the goal and lost a tooth. Players could be seen looking for the tooth on the ensuing goal celebration.

''I might put it under my pillow and see what happens,'' Pageau kidded.
The crowd at Scotiabank Place chanted Pageau's name and the Ottawa native says he's hopeful to give them the opportunity to do it again.

''It was good motivation and forced me to push myself to keep going,'' Pageau said. ''They liked my game and I didn't want to disappoint them after that.''

The third period started with the Senators leading 2-1.

But after Pageau's second goal of the game and a Kyle Turris score made it 4-1, emotions overflowed and a line brawl broke out at center ice.

Turris' goal, his first of the series, at 7:00 put the game out of reach. On the ensuing faceoff, five different fights broke out.

''I thought we handled ourselves well under the circumstances and the duress we were put under and we defended ourselves,'' Ottawa coach Paul MacLean said.

The Senators ended up with the man advantage after the brawl and Jakob Silfverberg scored on the power play as he beat Price up high to make it 5-1 only 8 seconds after Turris' goal.

More penalties were taken, and at one point, Ottawa was left with just five players on the bench, while Montreal had six.

Ottawa's veteran forward Daniel Alfredsson finished the game playing defense.

After the game, Montreal coach Michel Therien took exception with MacLean calling a timeout with 17 seconds remaining.

In Therien's opinion MacLean was trying to embarrass and humiliate the Canadiens.

''As far as I'm concerned that was classless,'' Therien said.

With so few players on his bench and things already out of hand, MacLean felt he had no other option than to call a timeout to get his message to his players.

''I didn't want anyone to get hurt, it was already getting dumb enough as it was,'' MacLean said. ''I have two important players on my team and I still have games to play. We're not giving them a freebie. There's already enough of that.''

MacLean went on to say that he was protecting his players and he would do it again.

This is the second time Therien has taken issue with MacLean.

''I don't like when a coach is making comments,'' Therien said. ''I don't like a coach when trying to humiliate our team. I don't like that.''

MacLean wasn't impressed by the actions of the Canadiens and is hopeful the league will review certain aspects of the game, including Josh Gorges shooting the puck at Turris at the end of the game.
Pageau completed the hat trick, becoming just the second player in Senators history to get a hat trick in the playoffs with less than two minutes remaining. Alfredsson also did it in 1998.

Less than a month ago, Pageau was playing in the AHL. But his strong play has earned him the confidence of MacLean.

''It was a great night for the kid,'' MacLean said. ''He's come in and played very, very well for us. We're really pleased for him, he's been a good player.''

''He played a great game,'' Alfredsson said. ''He had some great shots, picked the corners and it was fun for him.''

Alfredsson scored Ottawa's opening goal and Craig Anderson stopped 33 shots.
Price faced 30 shots. Rene Bourque scored for the Canadiens at 14:34 of the first.
Captain Brian Gionta and Max Pacioretty, who both missed Game 2, were back in the lineup for the Canadiens.

The Canadiens had a couple of great chances to tie the game in the second, but came up short.

Alex Galchenyuk was stopped by Anderson as he came racing in alone. And then with Montreal on the power play, Tomas Plekanec rang a shot off the crossbar.

The Canadiens weren't pleased with their overall effort and know they need a better game plan looking ahead to Game 4 on Tuesday.

''Our problem was we tried to make plays that weren't there,'' Gorges said. ''We weren't in our structure, we weren't in our system and when we're not we're chaotic.

''We knew they were going to come hard, we just didn't play a good fundamental game.''
A physical first period ended with the teams tied 1-1.

The Senators made the most of a 28-second two-man advantage as Alfredsson picked up his rebound at his feet and quickly rifled it past the right of Price. It was the Senators' first power-play goal of the series.

Montreal tied the game with a power-play goal as Plekanec found Bourque to create a 2-on-1 break.
Bourque's shot changed speed and seemed to throw off Anderson and he was unable to get over in time and he could only watch as the puck trickle across the goal line.

Notes: The Senators are without C Jason Spezza (back, indefinitely). D Eric Gryba served the second and final game of his suspension for his hit on Lars Eller in Game 1. Guillaume Latendresse and Andre Benoit were healthy scratches for the Senators in favor of Cory Conacher and Patrick Wiercioch. With Pacioretty and Gionta back in the lineup, Jeff Halpern and Gabriel Dumont were scratched for the Canadiens.

Habs vs Sens : Canadiens top Senators 3-1; series tied

Source : Yahoo.com 

After watching Lars Eller taken off the ice on a stretcher the previous night, the Montreal Canadiens, especially goaltender Carey Price, found some extra motivation against the Ottawa Senators.

Price came through with a 29-save performance as the Canadiens pulled out a hard-hitting but mostly clean 3-1 victory Friday night. The win left their best-of-seven series tied at 1-1 heading into Game 3 on Sunday in Ottawa.

"It's the playoffs. You can't dwell on the last game," said Price, who took heat for two goals between his pads in a 4-2 loss to Ottawa in the series opener. "You've got to get refocused and get ready for the next one."

Fourth-liner Ryan White, rookie Brendan Gallagher and veteran Michael Ryder scored in the middle period and the Canadiens held on. The somewhat flat Senators were let down by a power play that went 0 for 4.

"We saw our teammate, our friend, get hurt," said Gallagher. "You have to understand how emotional that is for us."

Milan Michalek scored for Ottawa.

Missing not only Eller but captain Brian Gionta and big winger Max Pacioretty, both of whom emerged from Game 1 with upper-body injuries, the Canadiens stuck to basics. They outshot Ottawa 34-30 and outhit the Senators 37-26.

There was anticipation of rough play after Eric Gryba's hit that left Eller bleeding profusely on the ice and saw him spend a night in hospital with a concussion. Gryba was suspended for two games by the NHL on Friday.

Passions were further inflamed Friday morning as Montreal coach Michel Therrien criticized Ottawa counterpart Paul MacLean for what he felt were disrespectful comments. MacLean had suggested Eller should have kept his head up and that defenseman Raphael Diaz had left him open to a hit with a "suicide" pass.

But the teams stuck to hockey at night.

"When I read his comments this morning, I was pretty upset," said Therrien.
MacLean just stared into space without answering when asked about the two-game suspension. But he was clear on what caused his team to lose the game.

"They played harder than we did for most of the game," MacLean said. "We turned over pucks that ended up in our net.

"We need a lot of rest and on Sunday, we need to come out and play. We got a split here and now we have home-ice advantage. Now we have to respond to that."

The spotlight was on Price, who was porous down the stretch in the regular season and was thoroughly outplayed in Game 1 by Craig Anderson. He took more criticism for failing to speak to the media after the game.

But he was solid only 24 hours later, and got help from teammates who blocked 34 shots, including five each by Josh Gorges and P.K. Subban.

"The guys were letting me see the puck," said Price. "They did an excellent job of getting to the trash I left out. We're going to need the same type of effort in Game 3."

Subban was not surprised.

"When he wants to shut the door, he shuts it and he locks it," the defenseman said.

The win cost Price the bottom of his two front teeth thanks to a collision in the crease with teammate Jarred Tinordi. He calmly skated to the team bench to hand over the broken choppers.

Curiously, Anderson had lost a tooth from being hit in the mask by Rene Bourque's shot while winning Game 1.

Montreal broke through with two quick goals early in the second period.

White skated hard into the Ottawa zone and intercepted Erik Karlsson's weak backhand pass out of the air at 3:20.

Only 53 seconds later, Alex Galchenyuk took the rebound of Francis Bouillon's shot and slipped it across to Gallagher for the rookie's second goal of the series.

Ottawa had an extra man on for a delayed penalty call when Michalek tipped in Chris Phillips' shot.
A sliding pad save by Price during an Ottawa power play was big, as Montreal killed it off and then scored. Bourque slid the puck through a scramble to Ryder for a shot into an open side.

Notes: Gryba served the first of the two-game suspension and was replaced by Andre Benoit. Tough guy Matt Kassian replaced Cory Conacher and started the game on a rugged line with Chris Neil and Zack Smith. . . . With Eller as well as Pacioretty and Gionta out, Jeff Halpern, Colby Armstrong and Gabriel Dumont were suited up for Montreal.. . The Canadiens were 7-1-1 in the second game of back-to-back contests this season.

Ryan White started a three-goal second period and goalie Carey Price was back in top form with 29 saves and the Montreal Canadiens downed the Ottawa Senators 3-1 to even their playoff series on Friday.

The best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal is tied 1-1 heading into Game 3 on Sunday in Ottawa.

Brendan Gallagher and Michael Ryder also scored for Montreal. Milan Michalek scored for Ottawa, which was let down by a power play that went 0-for-4.

There was anticipation of rough play after Eric Gryba's hit that saw Montreal's Lars Eller carried off the Bell Centre ice on a stretcher with a concussion and some missing teeth in Ottawa's 4-2 win in the series opener on Thursday night. Eller spent the night in hospital and was released Friday morning.
Gryba served the first of a two-game suspension for his Game 1 hit on Eller and was replaced by Andre Benoit.

Price was criticized for two goals that went between his pads in the opener, but he was sharp throughout Game 2 as Montreal outshot the Senators 34-30 and found ways to get pucks past Craig Anderson, who was coming off a 48-save effort in the opener.

Montreal got two quick goals early in the second period.

White skated hard into the Ottawa zone and was there to bat Erik Karlsson's backhand pass out of the air and between Anderson's pads at 3:20.

Just 53 seconds later, Alex Galchenyuk took the rebound of a Francis Bouillon shot and slipped it across to Gallagher for the rookie's second goal of the series.

Ottawa had an extra man on for a delayed penalty call when Michalek scored at 8:16.

A sliding pad save by Price during an Ottawa power play proved to be big, as Montreal killed it off and then scored as Rene Bourque slid the puck through a scramble to Ryder for a shot into an open side at 18:57.

Price went to the bench after apparently losing a tooth in a collision in front of his net. In Game 1, Anderson lost a tooth when hit in the mask by a Bourque shot.

Notes: Matt Kassian replaced Cory Conacher and started the game on a rugged line with Chris Neil and Zach Smith for Ottawa. ... With Eller as well as Max Pacioretty and Brian Gionta (upper body injuries) out, Jeff Halpern, Colby Armstrong and Gabriel Dumont suited up for Montreal. ... The Canadiens were 7-1-1 in the second game of back-to-backs this season.

Canadiens vs Leafs : Match sans faille avant les séries

Source : Rds.ca



Une des raisons du succès du Canadien lors de cette saison écourtée est l’émergence des jeunes, et aussi d’un certain Lars Eller.

À lire également

• En son et images : CH-Leafs
• Sommaire du match
• Après-matCH du Grand Club
• La course aux séries

Le Tricolore a vaincu son ennemi juré lors de son dernier match en saison régulière alors alors que Montréal a pris la mesure des Maple Leafs de Toronto par la marque de 4-1, samedi, au Air Canada Centre.

Le trio composé d’Eller, Brendan Gallagher et Alex Galchenyuk a été le meilleur des deux équipes.

Les trois joueurs du CH ont bien circulé la rondelle et ils ont utilisé leur vitesse.
Eller a terminé la rencontre avec un but et deux mentions d’aide, ce qui donne un total de 30 points pour la campagne 2013. Gallagher a obtenu un filet et une aide et Galchenyuk une passe. Le premier choix des Glorieux au dernier repêchage a terminé le calendrier régulier avec 12 points à ses 13 dernières parties.

« C’est la première fois que je dois agir comme le père sur un trio, a dit à la blague Eller. Ils sont incroyables. Gallagher est un petit bulldog, il crée de l’espace. Galchenyuk s’améliore toujours et il a une bonne vision pour préparer les jeux. »

Après la rencontre, l'entraîneur-chef du Canadien, Michel Therrien, a souligné que sa formation est maintenant définitivement prête pour les séries.

« Les deux derniers matchs de la saison, c’était une ambiance de séries éliminatoires. On a bien réagi à Winnipeg. Je sentais mon équipe aller dans la bonne direction. Ce soir, on a joué une partie vraiment solide », a indiqué l’entraîneur-chef du CH.

Le Tricolore (29-14-5) peut toujours remporter le titre de la division Nord-Est, ce qui serait une première depuis la saison 2007-2008. En vertu de leur défaite en prolongation contre les Capitals, les Bruins ont maintenant un point de moins que Montréal.

Boston disputera le dernier match de la saison régulière de la Ligue nationale, dimanche, alors que les Sénateurs d’Ottawa seront de passage au TD Garden. Advenant une défaite en temps régulier ou en prolongation des Bruins, le CH terminerait au premier rang de la division et au deuxième échelon de l’Association Est.

Malgré le revers, les Maple Leafs finissent la campagne au cinquième rang de l'Association Est. Si la troupe de Claude Julien l'emporte dimanche contre Ottawa, Montréal et Toronto croiseront le fer lors de la première ronde des séries, qui commencera mardi. Si les Sénateurs défont les Bruins, ils affronteront le Tricolore lors du premier tour. Le CH débutera avec l'avantage de la glace peu importe le résultat de la rencontre de dimanche.

Des coups d’épaules à la tonne

On s’attendait à un match physique de la part des Leafs, qui sont l’équipe qui distribue le plus de mises en échec dans la LNH. Le nombre de coups d’épaule a été à l’avantage des locaux avec 45 contre 39.

Le ton était également donné pour la rencontre dès la mise en jeu initiale. D’un côté, Michel Therrien a envoyé Brandon Prust, Travis Moen et Ryan White alors que Randy Carlyle a répliqué avec Jay McClement, Colton Orr et Frazer McLaren.

Tinordi est-il déjà indispensable au Canadien?

Toutefois, c’est plutôt Jarred Tinordi qui a donné les mises en échec les plus percutantes, dont une à Mikhail Grabovski en première période qui a mené au but égalisateur d’Eller.

Lorsque les esprits se sont échauffés lors du dernier vingt, les arbitres n’ont couru aucun risque et ils ont expulsé McLaren avant même qu’un combat éclate.

« C’est un match que notre concentration devait être là. On voulait imposer le rythme. Les joueurs ont suivi le plan de match à merveille. C’est sûr que c’est des affrontements avec beaucoup d’émotions. C’est le genre de partie que tu veux jouer », a affrimé Therrien.

Le Canadien a utilisé la formule qui a expliqué pourquoi ils seront des prochaines séries éliminatoires. Ils ont limité l’espace et les chances de marquer des Leafs. Peter Budaj, qui effectuait son 10e départ, n'a eu que 17 tirs dirigés vers lui.

« Pour avoir du succès, nous devons continuer à jouer en unité de cinq. Nous avons commis quelques erreurs que nous devons corriger avant les séries », a déclaré Josh Gorges.

Néanmoins, il a fallu attendre un peu avant d’avoir de l’action, surtout de la part du Bleu-blanc-rouge. Il n’y avait qu’un seul lancer après 4:30 de jeu en première. Le Canadien a décoché son premier tir sur James Reimer après 11:01 de jeu.

Résumé des buts

Phil Kessel a tout d’abord ouvert la marque avec son 20e de la saison. Lors d’un jeu de puissance, son tir à ras la glace s’est frayé un chemin jusqu’au fond du filet à 15:36. L'attaquant américain a maintenant 10 buts à ses 10 derniers matchs. En récoltant une mention d'aide sur le filet de Kessel,
Cody Franson a obtenu le 100e point de sa carrière.

Moins de trois minutes plus tard, Tinordi a servi une solide mise en échec à Grabovski et le jeu s’est transporté en zone des Leafs. Eller a complété le jeu de Gallagher et de Glachenyuk en marquant d’un tir du revers.

Andrei Markov a marqué son 10e filet de la saison, son deuxième à égalité numérique, alors qu’il a décoché un tir vif après une mise en jeu remporté par Eller.

L’attaquant danois a ajouté un autre point à sa fiche lorsqu’il a récolté une mention d’aide sur le 15e de la saison de Gallagher. Eller a lancé la rondelle vers le fond du territoire des Leafs alors qu’il se faisait frapper. La recrue du CH a patiné à pleine vitesse et a glissé la rondelle sous James Reimer qui tentait de le harponner.

Tomas Plekanec a chassé Reimer de la rencontre lorsqu’il l’a déjoué d’un bon tir du côté du bâton après une belle pièce de jeu.

White et Moen ont remplacé Jeff Halpern et Colby Armstrong. C’était le premier match que White était éligible à disputer depuis qu’il a été suspendu pour cinq parties pour sa mise en échec à l’endroit de Kent Huskins.

Bye bye !

Ont peut dire que le Canadien a démontrer du caractère et surtout un niveau de jeu intéressant face a une équipe qui tentait désespérément a ce faire une place en série . Donc en espérant que le CH se construit une bonne confiance avec cette partie et que le reste de la saison soit positive pour eux !

Bye bye Brodeur et les Devils ! :P

Philippe Charbonneau

Canadien : Est-ce la fin...

Aujourd'hui, nous allons peut-être assister au dernier match de la saison 2009-10 du Canadien de Montréal, étant sur le bord du gouffre et en affichant un déficit de 3-1 dans la série. Les joueurs du Canadien n'auront pas le choix de donner tout ce qu'ils ont pour aller chercher cette victoire! Mais comment vont-ils réussir? Les joueurs du CH doivent absolument attaquer le filet de Leigthon et non simplement effectué des tirs à l'extérieur de l'enclave.

Cependant, cette situation de trois blanchissages en quatre matchs est due au superbe jeu défensif des Flyers. Comment peut-on aller près du gardien de but lorsque tu as toujours de deux à trois joueurs adverses bloquant le centre de la glace. Bien sûr la taille des meilleurs joueurs du Canadien comparativement a ceux des Flyers, peut-être un autre indicateur de cette situation. Il est beaucoup plus facile de préconiser un jeu défensif lorsque ton équipe est plus grande et grosse en partant et surtout que les Flyers ont décidé de commencé a joué discipliné. Bien sûr, les abrites ont commis beaucoup d'erreur autant d'un coté comme de l'autre, mais comme ont le sait les joueurs sont souvent laissés a eux-mêmes dans les séries et les arbitres rangent leurs sifflets de peur d'avoir trop d'influence sur le match.

Revenons à nos Canadiens, la solution réside vraiment dans l'attaque, les joueurs de talent doivent absolument marquer et certains d'entre eux devraient même se regarder dans le miroir.
Halak sera encore là en début de match, mais le Canadien doit absolument marquer ce fameux premier but, pour enlever la pression! Si les Flyers marquent le premier but et parviennent a s'emparer des devants par deux buts, je crois que le Ch aura beaucoup de difficulté à revenir de l'arrière.

Donc, le Canadien se doit de gagner les trois prochains matchs, mais cela serait un miracle et nous pourrions dire que cette année est vraiment une année magique! J'ai un bon présentiment pour le match de ce soir, un gain du Ch par la marque de 4 a 2. Mais pour le reste de la série, je suis plutôt perplexe! À moin qu'ils parviennent a nous surprendre encore une autre fois! Je garde la foi!

Avant-match : Flyers vs Canadiens

Super avant-match du Canadien vs Flyers, étant moi-même un membre de ce super site je vous invite a aller consulter ce dernier en cliquant sur le lien du bas.

LIEN CLIQUER ICI

Source : Tricolore.ca

Mon commentaire :

Selon moi, ce match ne sera pas aussi facile que le dernier et je crois que le Canadien sera aussi redoutable. Mais les Flyers voudront se reprendre de leur dernière défaite et ils vont commencer le match avec de solide mise en échec. Il n'y aura pas trop de changement du coté du Canadien, a part O'rbyrne qui sera surement dans les estrades et que Jacques Martin reviendra a six défenseurs. Donc, Mathieur Darche devrait ré-intégrer la formation sur le quatrième trio.

Les Flyers eux pourront compter sur le retour du guerrier Ian Laperierre et cela sera une motivation de plus pour les joueurs. Mais je ne crois qu'il fera une si grande différence. Selon moi, les Flyers tenteront de limité l'accès devant le filet pour ainsi tenter de neutraliser l'attaque de CH.

Un gain du Canadien par la marque de 3 a 1 ce soir. Halak fera encore une grande part dans cette victoire! :)

Bon match !

Les joueurs sur le banc...

Est-ce que les joueurs qui sont sur le banc depuis quelque matchs pourrait venir aider le CH ?

Je crois que oui, car avec une présence physique les Flyers dominent nos joueurs sur cette aspect du jeu et avec la présence de Pouliot et O'Byrne cela pourrait etre moins facile pour Philadelphie. Car Pouliot est capable de se placer devant le filet et forcer les joueurs des Flyers a tenté de le pousser, pour O'Byrne ce dernier est d'un bon gabarit et il a prouver dans le passé qu'il pouvait jouer physique tout en étant efficace défensivement.

Ils pourrait venir prendre la place de Sergei et Bergeron, bien sur note ami SK serait dans les estrades mais la présence de Bergeron serait sur un 4e trio ou comme 7e défenseur.

Il va falloir que le Canadien tentent d'aller plus au but et non d'effectuer seulement des tirs a l'extérieur de l'enclave.

Est-ce que Price pourrait venir en renfort aussi ? C'est reste a voir....

Bon match!

Avant-match : Canadiens vs Flyers

Super avant-match du Canadien vs Flyers, étant moi-même un membre de ce super site je vous invite a aller consulter ce dernier en cliquant sur le lien du bas.

LIEN CLIQUER ICI

Source : Tricolore.ca

Mon commentaire :

D'après moi ce match sera remporté par le CH, mais la série ne sera pas aussi facile que l'on pensait. La défensive des Flyers est beaucoup plus grosse et talentueuse que je l'imaginais. Il ne faut surtout pas oublié l'offensive avec le rajout possible de Jeff Carter, le CH devra redoubler de vigilance et surtout de discipline. Halak devra se lever et l'offensive devra trouver le moyen de percer la défensive.

Un très bon match en perceptive. Je prédis un gain du Canadien 4 a 2 !

Avant-match : Canadiens vs Flyers

Étant un membre de tricolore.ca je vous conseille d'aller consulter ce super avant-match du Canadien, car il est très bien détaillé et très plaisant a lire.

Bonne lecture !


Source : Tricolore.ca


POUR CONSULTER CLIQUER ICI

Les Flyers en chiffres...

Voici quelques statistiques qui pourrait bien nous aider a mieux connaitre les Flyers avant l'affrontement de demain.

Voici les combinaisons de trios que les Flyers ont utilisés pendant les trois derniers matchs.

A force égale :

Attaquants :

#1 33.8% BRIERE,DANIEL - HARTNELL,SCOTT - LEINO,VILLE

#2 26.1% CARCILLO,DANIEL - GAGNE,SIMON - RICHARDS,MIKE

#3 24.2% ASHAM,ARRON - GIROUX,CLAUDE - VAN RIEMSDYK,JAMES

#4 16% BETTS,BLAIR - NODL,ANDREAS - POWE,DARROLL

Défenseurs :

#1 46.2% CARLE,MATTHEW - PRONGER,CHRIS

#2 43.3% COBURN,BRAYDON - TIMONEN,KIMMO

#3 10.6% CARLE,MATTHEW - COBURN,BRAYDON

Avantage numérique :

#1 34.5% GAGNE,SIMON - LEINO,VILLE - RICHARDS,MIKE

#2 34.5% BRIERE,DANIEL - GIROUX,CLAUDE - HARTNELL,SCOTT

#3 15.5% BRIERE,DANIEL - GIROUX,CLAUDE - RICHARDS,MIKE

#4 15.5% ASHAM,ARRON - BRIERE,DANIEL - HARTNELL,SCOTT

Donc ont peut voir que l'entraineur des Flyers a souvent utilisé Daniel Briere et Simon Gagné et surtout Mike Richards.

Voici les meneurs pour les présence sur la glace :

Rang Joueur Pos. Match Présence

1 PRONGER, CHRIS D 12 35.3
2 CARLE, MATTHEW D 12 35.0
3 COBURN, BRAYDON D 12 32.8
4 TIMONEN, KIMMO D 12 32.7
5 RICHARDS, MIKE C 12 31.4
6 GIROUX, CLAUDE R 12 26.8
7 BRIERE, DANIEL C 12 25.9
8 CARTER, JEFF C 4 25.8
9 GAGNE, SIMON L 8 23.8
10 LEINO, VILLE L 8 23.1
11 HARTNELL, SCOTT L 12 22.8
12 POWE, DARROLL C 12 20.9
13 BETTS, BLAIR C 12 20.4
14 LAPERRIERE, IAN R 5 19.8
15 BARTULIS, OSKARRS D 2 18.5
16 VAN RIEMSDYK, JAMES L 12 18.3
17 ASHAM, ARRON R 12 16.8
18 CARCILLO, DANIEL L 12 16.6
19 KRAJICEK, LUKAS D 11 15.6
20 NODL, ANDREAS R 7 13.6
21 PARENT, RYAN D 11 11.6
22 LALIBERTE, DAVID R 1 9.0
23 ROSS, JARED C 3 8.7

Mise au jeu :

Rang Joueur Pos Équipe Gagné Perdu Total %Gagné

1 RICHARDS, MIKE C PHI 115 127 242 47.5
2 BETTS, BLAIR C PHI 83 67 150 55.3
3 GIROUX, CLAUDE R PHI 50 78 128 39.1
4 BRIERE, DANIEL C PHI 35 32 67 52.2
5 CARTER, JEFF C PHI 30 34 64 46.9


Meneurs points :

Rank Joueur Pos Équipe Match Buts Passes Points

1 RICHARDS, MIKE C PHI 12 5 12 17
2 BRIERE, DANIEL C PHI 12 7 8 15
3 GIROUX, CLAUDE R PHI 12 5 6 11
3 PRONGER, CHRIS D PHI 12 4 7 11
4 LEINO, VILLE L PHI 8 2 5 7
4 CARLE, MATTHEW D PHI 12 0 7 7
4 GAGNE, SIMON L PHI 8 4 3 7
5 HARTNELL, SCOTT L PHI 12 2 4 6
6 TIMONEN, KIMMO D PHI 12 0 5 5
6 CARCILLO, DANIEL L PHI 12 2 3 5
7 ASHAM, ARRON R PHI 12 2 1 3
7 CARTER, JEFF C PHI 4 2 1 3
8 VAN RIEMSDYK, JAMES L PHI 12 1 1 2
9 BETTS, BLAIR C PHI 12 0 1 1
9 LAPERRIERE, IAN R PHI 5 0 1 1
9 PARENT, RYAN D PHI 11 1 0 1
9 COBURN, BRAYDON D PHI 12 0 1 1

Gardiens :

Il sera question de Micheal Leigthon car Brian Boucher est blessé pour la balance des séries.



3 matchs

2 départs

155:25 minutes

fiche : 2-0-0

4 buts accordés

moyenne de 1.54

70 tirs reçu contre 66 bloqués

% efficacité de .943 %


Voici quelque chiffres qui peuvent aider a mieux connaitre nos prochain adversaire.

La Halakomanie, pas pour moi sauf que...

Un texte a lire absolument il est question bien sur de notre cher ami Jaroslav Halak et je vous laisse découvrir un fameux site qui se nomme Tricolore.ca et surtout le créateur Joel Gh.

Bonne lecture !

CLIQUEZ ICI POUR CONSULTER

Un seul mot : Bravo!

Le Canadien a réussi un exploit hier soir au centre Bell, les deux premières périodes n’ont pas été à leur avantage. Mais ils ont tout de même réussi à tenir le coup et de garder une différence d’un seul but. Sans la performance d’un Halak, le match aurait été encore hors de portée de ces derniers.

Par contre, ce qui me fait le plus réagir, est le manque d’éthique et de jugement de la part des arbitres. Aussitôt que le Canadien commettait un petit geste, les arbitres ne se gênaient pas à décerner une pénalité. Le premier but des Penguins, n’aurait jamais du avoir lieu, car auparavant, P.k. Subban avait subi une corde a linge dans les jambes. Ce qui a donné droit a un échappé de Maxime Talbot. Selon moi, les arbitres avaient comme mandat de faire perdre le Canadien et de s’arranger pour que les Penguins est une fiche de 3-1. En espérant que cette fâcheuse situation sera réglée pour le prochain match samedi.

Il faut toutefois donner crédit au joueur de soutien et surtout à l’effort des joueurs en troisième période. Des joueurs comme Pyatt et Lapierre, qui se donnent à chaque match, ils méritaient bien d’obtenir un but chacun. La performance de Darche a été plutôt limitée pour avoir été utilisée pendant 8 minutes et 12 secondes et à toute fois obtenue une passe sur le but de Lapierre. La performance de la troisième période a fait une grande différence dans ce match, est-ce que les Penguins ont baisé les bras, ou c’est le Canadien qui a remontés s’est manches?

Il faut dire que les joueurs du CH ont donné tout ce qu’ils avaient en troisième période et ils ont récolté ce qu’ils ont semé avec une récolte de 2 buts et surtout 16 tirs.

Le prochain match sera samedi et au domicile des Penguins, les chances de gagner pour nos favoris seront là. Car cette défaite est très amère au gout pour les joueurs de Pittsburgh et surtout très motivante pour nos glorieux. Bien sûr il y a plusieurs facteurs donc, il faut retenir pour le match pour avoir une victoire. Il va valoir compter sur une tenu exceptionnelle de Jaroslav Halak, que les joueurs du Ch soit plus discipliner, commettre moins d’erreurs en défensive et surtout que les gros canons marque des buts, car les joueurs de soutien ne pourront pas toujours le faire. Ont attend toujours le réveil Andrei Kostitsyn et Benoit Pouliot, seront-ils capable de répondre a l’appel ?

Le Canadien et les séries...

Comment ont ne peut être enthousiasmé a l’arrivé d’un match ce soir au centre Bell, car le Canadien tire seulement de l’arrière par un match contre les Penguins. Si l'ont regarde en perspective la performance de l’équipe en série ont peut dire qu’ils nous déçoivent pas du tout.

Bien sûr, celui qui fait la différence est le gardien de but Jaroslav Halak. Comment peu ont passé par-dessus, lui qui possède la meilleure moyenne d’efficacité des séries avec .933% et surout avec une moyenne de 34,88 tirs par match. Sans lui, le Canadien n’aurait jamais fait la remontée spectaculaire contre les Capitals, Halak est en train de prouver au monde du hockey qu’il est capable de gérer la pression et surtout d’accumuler les bonnes performances. De mémoire, il y eu seulement un match dont il n'a pas bien paru contre Washington et après il est revenu en force et depuis ce temps, il est excellent.

Il ne faut pas oublier la performance de notre marqueur et meilleur pointeur Mike Cammalleri, qui a retrouvé sa touche en séries, car avant les séries, il avait fait un retour au jeu et cela n’avait pas été très encourageant avec une récolte de 2 passes en 9 matchs. Mais, aussitôt arrivé en séries, il a retrouvé toute sa fougue et surtout sont talent de marqueur, avec une récolte de 8 buts et 5 passes en 10 matchs, il se classe au deuxième rang pour les buts, au troisième rang pour les points et au premier rang pour les points a force égale avec une récolte de 8. Il évolue souvent avec Plekanec et il a une moyenne de temps de glace de 19 minutes et 44 secondes comparativement a Crosby qui a 16 points (5 buts et 11 passes) et une moyenne de 23 minutes et 6 secondes.

Le héros obscur est sans doute Hall Gill qui totalise le plus haut total de tirs bloqué dans les séries avec une impressionnante récolte de 41 et il est un rare joueur du Ch a avoir une fiche défensive dans le positif avec un +3. Il ne faut pas oublier aussi, Scott Gomez et Brian Gionta, qui a chaque match donne tout ce qu’ils ont et apporte un bon appui offensif. Mais ce qu’ils peuvent apporter et qui compte vraiment sont leur très grande expérience en séries et surtout étant eux même des gagnants.

Pour conclure, je crois aux chances du Canadien et la série n’est pas terminée, cependant le match de ce soir est très déterminant, car je ne crois pas que le Canadien pourrait revenir de l’arrière comme ils l’ont fait contre les Capitals. Car les Penguins sont une équipe de gagnant et ils travaillent ensemble et surtout, ils ont Sydney Crosby….

Bonne Série!!!