Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning: Game One Report
What time is it? Midnight. Whatever, no sleep until June! It's the playoffs.
The Montreal Canadiens made the trip to sunny Tampa Bay to take on the Lighting in the opening game of the 13/14 playoffs.
This is what happened:
Some playoff games are careful, guarded affairs. Some are out-and-out battles, this was definitely the latter. The Lightning took home-ice advantage by finishing the regular season one point better than the Habs. Former Red Wing Valtteri Filppula won the opening faceoff for the Bolts against Tomas Plekanec and the first period was played with the energy Lord Stanley's Cup commands.
The opening 10 minutes gave plenty of shots and plenty of hits from both teams, pure end to end stuff. Both teams threatened to find net but Tampa were the first team to score. With just less than 10 minutes left on the clock in the first, Nikita Kucherov scored the first goal of the playoffs. J.T. Brown provided the assist.
Montreal were not to be outdone by and scored 19 seconds later on the rush. Plekanec beating Anders Lindback to restore parity. Alexei Emelin and Brendan Gallagher providing assists.
The Lightning look dangerous on the rush, especially with Steven Stamkos on the ice, but the Habs put in the big shifts after scoring. David Desharnais winning a lot of the offensive puck battles for Montreal. He's definitely earning his salary tonight.
The first power play came with two minutes left in the first, Richard Panik taking a two minute minor for tripping. In the last four Habs Vs Bolts games, the Habs failed to score in 14 power plays. This was no different. Despite conceding to Plekanec, Lindback had a good period, making 13 saves from 14 shots.
The big hits from the first period continued into the second. I'd love to know what Jon Cooper said during intermission because Steven Stamkos et al came out shooting. Enough to send Carey Price sprawling across the ice but not enough to score.
Danny Briere and Cedric Paquette tooke two minutes apiece for holding and cross-checking respectively. Neither team could take advantage of the four-on-four play though.
Handbags when Markov places a brutal, but legal hit on Ondrej Palat at the midpoint of the game. Stamkos physically expresses his dissatisfaction and soon everyone rushes in. Officials sort it though, no penalties.
Gallagher took a trip to the dressing room after stopping a shot with his throat. Looked painful. Was back soon enough though. What a trooper.
With six minutes left on the clock Stamkos scores the goal of the playoffs (so far) when he took the puck from Michael Kostka behind Lindback's goal, skates all the way to the other end of the rink and scores past Price. It was Datsyukian in style. Montreal may have been in control but that was just embarrassing.
Subban takes a slashing penalty with four minutes left. The fool looks like he either injured himself in the act of slashing at Kucherov or took a flop. Only he knows.
The Habs laugh in the face of penalty killing though and Brian Gionta scores a short-handed goal to draw the game again. Lindback stopped the initial shot but Gionta was well placed to slot home the rebound. Lars Eller and Mike Weaver assisted.
Even strength isn't part of the Habs' game plan and as soon as Subban is allowed out, Emelin replaces him after slashing. That's it for the second!
Tampa's PK is desperate but the Habs are tired and can't find the net. This game is going to overtime!
It's the playoffs, so overtime will be another 20 minute period, at least until someone scores. And both teams had chances. Considering that both teams have just finished 82 regualar season games each and a fair few of them served their countries in Sochi, the energy levels are still insane. The concentration not so much. Turnovers and missed opportunites threatened both teams. It's looking like we'll be seeing another period of overtime, which sucks because it's nearly 3am here!
Dale Weise Wins it for the Habs with just over a minute left in overtime. Tense, tense stuff. What a opening game. Either team could have won it but the Habs controlled throughout. Absolute deserved win.
Tampa Bay will need to really go back to the drawing board if they want to turn the series around. The Habs were outshot 44 to 25. Montreal may not have been as sharp as earlier this season but it they always looked threatening.
The Montreal Canadiens made the trip to sunny Tampa Bay to take on the Lighting in the opening game of the 13/14 playoffs.
This is what happened:
First Period
Some playoff games are careful, guarded affairs. Some are out-and-out battles, this was definitely the latter. The Lightning took home-ice advantage by finishing the regular season one point better than the Habs. Former Red Wing Valtteri Filppula won the opening faceoff for the Bolts against Tomas Plekanec and the first period was played with the energy Lord Stanley's Cup commands.
The opening 10 minutes gave plenty of shots and plenty of hits from both teams, pure end to end stuff. Both teams threatened to find net but Tampa were the first team to score. With just less than 10 minutes left on the clock in the first, Nikita Kucherov scored the first goal of the playoffs. J.T. Brown provided the assist.
Montreal were not to be outdone by and scored 19 seconds later on the rush. Plekanec beating Anders Lindback to restore parity. Alexei Emelin and Brendan Gallagher providing assists.
The Lightning look dangerous on the rush, especially with Steven Stamkos on the ice, but the Habs put in the big shifts after scoring. David Desharnais winning a lot of the offensive puck battles for Montreal. He's definitely earning his salary tonight.
The first power play came with two minutes left in the first, Richard Panik taking a two minute minor for tripping. In the last four Habs Vs Bolts games, the Habs failed to score in 14 power plays. This was no different. Despite conceding to Plekanec, Lindback had a good period, making 13 saves from 14 shots.
First Intermission Thoughts
- That Lindback fella is pretty handy between the pipes
- Habs need to think before shooting; Bolts are dangerous on the counter
- Radko Gudas is rocking an amazing beard
- It's definitely not the P.K. Subban Show tonight
Second Period
The big hits from the first period continued into the second. I'd love to know what Jon Cooper said during intermission because Steven Stamkos et al came out shooting. Enough to send Carey Price sprawling across the ice but not enough to score.
Danny Briere and Cedric Paquette tooke two minutes apiece for holding and cross-checking respectively. Neither team could take advantage of the four-on-four play though.
Handbags when Markov places a brutal, but legal hit on Ondrej Palat at the midpoint of the game. Stamkos physically expresses his dissatisfaction and soon everyone rushes in. Officials sort it though, no penalties.
Gallagher took a trip to the dressing room after stopping a shot with his throat. Looked painful. Was back soon enough though. What a trooper.
With six minutes left on the clock Stamkos scores the goal of the playoffs (so far) when he took the puck from Michael Kostka behind Lindback's goal, skates all the way to the other end of the rink and scores past Price. It was Datsyukian in style. Montreal may have been in control but that was just embarrassing.
Subban takes a slashing penalty with four minutes left. The fool looks like he either injured himself in the act of slashing at Kucherov or took a flop. Only he knows.
The Habs laugh in the face of penalty killing though and Brian Gionta scores a short-handed goal to draw the game again. Lindback stopped the initial shot but Gionta was well placed to slot home the rebound. Lars Eller and Mike Weaver assisted.
Even strength isn't part of the Habs' game plan and as soon as Subban is allowed out, Emelin replaces him after slashing. That's it for the second!
Second Intermission Thoughts
- Subban's ass-checking is hilarious, but someone is going to batter him soon
- Lindback's movement on the ice is awkward, someone please send him some tapes
- Stamkos may win this series on his own. His speed is stupendous
- Bolts need to shoot the puck, can't score by osmosis.
Third Period
Tampa start the period with the man advantage but nothing comes of it. The Bolts have a good record when it comes to winning games in the final period, and their passing is definitely better than the Habs.
Ryan Callahan is settling into his new life in Tampa, he's getting some big hits tonight.
After five minutes the Habs take the lead for the first time. Eller turns the puck over and wraps the puck around Lindback who got contact but not enough to deny the goal. Is this Eller's third game winning goal of the season? Advantage Montreal.
No it isn't! The Tampa Bay faithful lose their minds when the Lightning turn the puck over in dangerous territory and Alex Killorn punishes the Habs with a rifled shot past the nearside post. Great technique to turn and shoot at the same time.
A minute later the Habs restore their lead. Vanek plays a sweet one-two with Desharnais to beat Lindback. 4-3 Habs with eight minutes left on the clock. Well worked goal, not as well as Stamkos' but nice. Do the Lightning have anything left in the tank?
Yeah of course. And wouldn't you know it? Steven Stamkos finds acres of space to get on the end of Killorn's pass. Price doesn't know which way to go, goes the wrong way. What a game this is. 4-4 now with six minutes left in regulation.
The noise in the arena is immense, PK Subban plays offside for a while because he can't hear the whistle.
The final four minutes of regulation are tense for both teams, Eric Brewer finds the post for Tampa but the puck bounces away. Goal hero Killorn gets to sit out the final two minutes as his high stick finds Max Pacioretty's face.
Tampa's PK is desperate but the Habs are tired and can't find the net. This game is going to overtime!
Overtime
Dale Weise Wins it for the Habs with just over a minute left in overtime. Tense, tense stuff. What a opening game. Either team could have won it but the Habs controlled throughout. Absolute deserved win.
Tampa Bay will need to really go back to the drawing board if they want to turn the series around. The Habs were outshot 44 to 25. Montreal may not have been as sharp as earlier this season but it they always looked threatening.
There's always the next game!
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