Montreal 4 Anaheim 3 SO (Honda Center)
Some games can be broken down and explained by statistics. Others offer learned lessons for future contests. And then there are games like this one that can only be described bizarre.
It was exciting, and in the end satisfying for fans, but truly bizarre.
Statistics were meaningless tonight. There is nothing that can be learned to provide a blueprint for future wins. The Canadiens simply need to take the two points and count their blessings.
That’s not to say that there weren’t players worthy of praise. There were. But for long stretches, this game was rather boring. It also featured two teams who both exhibited dreadful play at times. And two coaches who made questionable decisions.
Some will try to make this game all about goaltending. It wasn’t. For whatever reason, these so-called fans lie in wait and relish the chance to heap abuse on Carey Price. I suppose that they were getting a little impatient the past few days because Price has been nothing but stellar in his two starts since the Olympic break.
In fact coach Jacques Martin probably made one of his many mistakes by starting Jaroslav Halak against Los Angeles given that Price had played so well in the two games prior. Martin could have come back with Halak against the Ducks.
But no matter. The decision regarding the starting goaltender for both games played no part in their outcomes. It is time that ‘the most knowledgeable fans in the game’ lived up to their claim to fame and stopped the nonsense. Focusing on goaltending and using it as a point of division is irrational.
As mentioned, statistical comparisons are not helpful in understanding the game tonight. The Canadiens outshot the Ducks 15-to-11 in the first period. Yet one of the broadcasters pegged scoring chances as 9-to-2 for Anaheim.
While Price gave up three goals in the first period, it could have easily been a half dozen more. Price made several spectacular saves. The problem was that the rest of his team didn’t show up.
Some may nitpick that Price should have stopped the first goal. Others may criticize Halak for being slow to react and failing to poke-check Kopitar in the Los Angeles game.
Both would be wrong.
Putting Canadiens’ goaltending under a microscope is akin to ignoring the proverbial plank in one’s eye while focusing on a spec of sawdust.
The Canadiens, both defense and forwards, simply abandoned coverage in their own zone in the first period of tonight’s game. They were spectators.
Want to dish out scorn? Target defensemen who played soft, and backed in. Be sure to save some for the forwards who didn’t cover points or failed to backcheck.
After the first period Marc Antoine Godin, from La Presse, said “L’enclave dans le territoire du Canadien est un étang dans lequel les Canards pataugent allègrement. / The slot in Habs’ zone is a pond in which the Ducks love paddling.”
Those who were paying attention know that the responsibility for the Canadiens’ appalling first period performance rests solely on the shoulders of players like Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez, on the ice for all three goals against and Benoit Pouliot, Roman Hamrlik and Andrei Markov, on the ice for two.
And then there is the role played by coach Jacques Martin. The Canadiens had two power-play opportunities in the first period. Both were awful. The penalty kills provided momentum to Anaheim just ahead of their first goal.
It is painfully clear to everyone but coach Martin that Hamrlik and Josh Gorges are not the answer on the point of the power-play. Yet Martin stubbornly refuses play Sergei Kostitsyn opposite Markov despite Kostitsyn’s experience in the position.
Glen Metropolit, Tom Pyatt, and Ryan O’Byrne all had small amounts of power-play time tonight. Sergei Kostitsyn had none.
If Anaheim had nine scoring chances in the first period, they were fortunate to have half that many in the last two periods and overtime. For a stretch of 23 minutes, the Ducks had none. After the paint was peeled in the Habs’ dressing room, they tightened up to begin the second period.
For their part, Anaheim stopped skating. The Ducks defense looked weak, forwards gave up turnovers, and goaltending was questionable.
Halak’s handler tried to steal credit and fan the flames of hate by saying, “H-A-L-A-K!!!!! Perhaps his best game of the season and certainly one of his most clutch performances so far. Is Jaro the ‘comeback kid’?”
Either agent Alan Walsh is delusional or he didn’t watch the game. Or both. With the lack of Ducks’ scoring chances, Halak wasn’t a factor. He simply didn’t have to be. And with a puck going through Halak, and trickling by the post in the shootout, he also has the hockey gods to thank.
Walsh is also doing Halak a disservice. If the headline-craving agent presents tonight’s game as Exhibit A during negotiations, he won’t be getting what his client deserves.
It’s clear, that in Montreal, the hype and the hate with respect to goaltending are out of control.
The spotlight for tonight’s turnaround should be on the player who has been the Canadien’s most valuable all season long, Tomas Plekanec.
Plekanec centered the Canadiens best line. He exploited the Ducks’ defense and scored on a breakaway in the second period to get the Habs back into the game. After the Canadiens tied the game with two goals in the last two minutes of the third period, Plekanec scored the game winner in the shootout.
Plekanec had seven shots on goal and his linemate Andrei Kostitsyn had five. The Canadiens were a one line team in this game. Sergei Kostitsyn is the other Habs forward who deserves special mention. Sergei created scoring chances, but didn’t have the linemates who could finish.
With an exciting comeback win after being down three goals, the Canadiens end their very successful road trip with a 3-1-0 record. The Ducks fell to 0-2-1 after the Olympic break.
The Canadiens return home to play the Lightning on Tuesday.
Rocket’s three stars
1. Tomas Plekanec
2. Scott Niedermayer
3. Andrei Markov
special mention: Sergei Kostitsyn
Player quotes from wire services were used in this report.
(photo credit: Getty)
My god, you people still trying to defend your boy, lol. Your boy is playing himself right off of the team. It`s a fair bet that most of the players on the team are sick of your superstar( that`s what his teammates call him ).
Halak keeps saving the season with wins and all you care about is Price. Your no fan of the Montreal Canadiens, you people are Price fanboys, nothing more, you know nothing of goaltending, of hockey for that matter, all you know is that your boy has no blame, he`s perfect.
Your boy is in trouble, he`s lost his mojo so to speak. I don`t think he`s going to ever find it, maybe you can help him search for it?
This is probably the first game the Habs won that has left me fuming in anger. Satisfying that they won, but I'm pissed off at how they did it. As I mentioned on twitter before they finally decided to crash the net instead of shooting a clear shot on Hiller and score in the final minute and a half of the game that every time they have a chance to either gain ground or solidify their hold on a spot or leapfrog a team in points they pussyfoot around and mail it in. This "dominating" offense they supposedly had was during that 9-2 scoring chance for the Ducks. Much like Price, you aren't going to beat Hiller if he sees the puck like that. How is it they're so good at screening their own goaltender but can't stick a butt in front of the other goalie or force the D to backup the same way? It happens every single time, and it's so aggravating. And how many games has Price stood on his head for these guys yet still lost like on Thursday, or held them in a game that was already 3-0 early and they do absolutely nothing all game? Even my MOM sees this and hates it. Did he eat someone's lunch or something? The shots going through him weren't seeing eye shots like the ones a frazzled Luongo were letting in or the weak goals of Huet earlier today…
I'm also angry at the constant ignoring of SK74. He lived on the powerplay in junior, with the Bulldogs, even Carbo put him up there sometimes and he scored. We're wasting this talented man on a 3rd line, and through it all, he has stuck with it without a peep. A true teamplayer, until he'll eventually be given away to some team where he'll undoubtedly say "I wasn't given the chance to succeed" but unlike Gui, it's the truth.
If they do the same thing Tuesday against the Lightning, even if St.Louis might not be there, Downie and Stamkos will destroy them… Never mind that, you can't win the playoffs playing 2 minutes of hockey. That's playing with fire…
And Alan Walsh can jump off a bridge for all I care. You know, they say Jaro is a quiet, do-what-ever the boss says, team guy, yet his agent appears to be the opposite and a self-centered arsehole who constantly interjects himself between his clients and the team and it seems the guy keeps saying "trade me or play me". Is that from the team guy or the agent? He has done this with Pavelec, even threatening to take his client to the KHL (except in Atlanta's case it's a choice between the streaky Pavelec, old Hedberg who seems to be the one they're using more often than the kid anyway, or the broken Lehtonen who is now trying to re-find his game in Dallas which won't happen soon since the Stars are horribly porous), and you have to wonder if the spat between Havlat and the Hawks was not egged along by this guy…
Rocket, I've read every blog you've wrote the last few seasons. You're a great writer, very clever, and sometimes answer unanswered questions. I feel like you were unfair to Breezer some games ( not many ) but I guess he wasn't your favorite. I will admit from the words you've said over the past few seasons usually praising Ryan O'Byrne you've made me a fan, not that I hated O'Byrne before but now I definately feel more comfortable when he's on the ice. Which brings me to my point;
I've never posted before but your last blog made me sick. I am a fan of Carey Price, and I wish he'd win every game he starts ( as I'm sure every Montreal Canadien fan does). But he doesn't. Not even close. And I agree it's not always his fault. Yes the defense didn't look to good in the first, but all 3 of those goals were weak. And I'm not sure what half dozen highlite reel saves your talking about. I guess we were watching a different game( I seen two). On the same token you say Halak didn't have many big saves, again I'm not sure what game you were watching. Price is done here, the team DOES NOT PLAY infront of him for whatever reason. He will be good maybe even great somewhere else I'm sure . He's got all the tools to be a great goalie but Halak has passed him on the depth chart. Get over it. If we threw prices jersey on Halak and Halaks jersey on Price. You'd be a bigger price fan then ever. Despite what you say halak gives us a better chance to win night after night. As one fan put it on another blog,
" Carey Price might NOT be the problem, but Jaroslav Halak is deffinately the solution".
Here we go again…
Let's jump all over Price because he had a sub-par outing. Yes, he had a sub-par outing.
Can we not have a little bit of balance when it comes to Price and Halak? Unfortunately the divide in opinion continues to grow, even as the team scratches its way towards the playoffs.
Price fans will say that he was terrific against Boston and San Jose. Haters say that Boston was depleted and he still lost vs San Jose despite his play. There's truth in both arguments. He WAS good in both games – the numbers don't lie. Last night he was sub-par, while receving little help. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: to excuse Price because his defense wasn't much help removes all accountability on Price to make the saves. If all a goaltender is expected to do is stop shots that are well defended, nobody would need star goaltending. The Canadiens need star goaltending, and did not get it last night. It hardly makes Price a poor goalie.
Instead, why not give Martin some credit (for once). He made the move to wake the team up – the WHOLE team, not just the goaltending.
We're back to slagging Price…his numbers aren't bad, except for wins and losses. Price fans will blame the team as a whole for his poor record, while haters will blame Price himself and and prop up Halak's numbers as evidence for their argument.
Halak is having a career season; one that he may never (and I suspect never) duplicate. His terrific numbers don't make Price a bad goalie. All Price needs to do is develop that Roy-like ability to squeeze water from a stone; that is to say, make as many big saves as required to give his team a chance to win, no matter how abandoned he may be. He'll get there. I don't expect him to be that guy – yet. Will hair-on-fire Habs fans allow him to get there? I'm not sure.
I'm not interested in losing either goalie at this point. I'm interested in wins, and right now Halak – for whatever reason – is getting the lions share of wins. That's not a jab at Price, it's just the fact of the matter.
It's 67 games in now. It should be ALL ABOUT WINS now, and to that end, Halak's .613 win% vs Price's .361 win% has to be the key indicator of how Martin should approach the final stretch. Play that guy that is more likely to win. Period. But for goodness sake, if Price plays, can we just apply some balance and logic? He's not the whipping boy, nor is he guilt-free. This is getting tiresome now!
No professional who lives to play for the playoffs would jerpordize that chance because one guy is in nets over the other, and if they do think like that and don't care about the playoffs then they better be off this team very quickly. So continue living in your ignorant anonymity, Anonymous. That's right up there with some 990 guy saying Price plays just to lose. (What?!)
It's coaching 101 to pull the goalie to try and wake up the rest of the team and get that guy out of there before he's just destroyed. But the way they played that game in the first compared to how they played the night before just boggles the mind. They can't afford to be so soft anymore. They have a real chance now to make the playoffs, especially if Boston is in trouble with what happened to Savard… Someone needs to get them to believe. Hiller gift-wrapped that one on Gio's goal and I'm all about signs and coincidences. First step though, they gotta put a forward on the powerplay point 'cause Gorges, Hamr, or Spacek ain't working. I always found that was a more successful set up anyway when they used it… At least until Bergeron comes back :E
Well Anon, I would say that Price-haters like you have lost your creativity. Every game, no matter the result on the ice, you trot out your stagnant, repetitive, bitter and irrelevant statements about Price.
Is a true fan so filled with hatred to the point of hoping the team will lose when he is in the net? I think not.
Excellent points on all topics Number31. Its interesting the difference in perspective from those of us who have actually played the position.
I agree that the Walsh-Halak team has not been the angels that they have been portrayed to be.
Martin's handling of SK74 has been baffling to say the least. Martin isn't seeing clearly when it comes to power-play success or correctly using the talents of Sergei.
Anon2: Thanks for the compliments and for your readership. I hope that you will be feeling better soon.
Montreal is a strange market. For some reason, they love to turn on their own.
I'm very comfortable with my objectivity and my record. Last season, fans were trying to run Plekanec out of town and were relentless in their ridicule of O'Byrne. I went a different way because I saw talent. This season Plekanec has been the team's MVP and O'Byrne is a top 4 D-man.
With respect to Brisebois, I simply made the point that no other team in the NHL would employ him but Montreal. That statement has been vindicated as well.
There are many differences between Halak and Price that go well beyond their jerseys.
Its good to hear that you are a Price fan and that you don't cheer against him. Perhaps I'm just more cynical, but I believe that most Price-haters cheer for the opposition when he is in goal.
You may wish to read the article again. I said nothing about a "half dozen hilight reel saves" in the Anaheim game.
I hear many times that the team plays better in front of Halak most often coming from people with selective memories. Or perhaps remembering Halak's three starts before the break with a save percentage of .831 (including getting yanked against Philly) is just too hard for some.
Kyleroussel: In your opinion, Price's performance against Anaheim was sub-par. You would be at odds with all of the broadcasters that I heard. All said Price was blameless on the three goals.
Goaltenders including Price are expected to step up and make saves when teammates make mistakes. Price did that against the Ducks. But there isn't a goalie in the world that can do anything when his team totally abandons him as was the case on Sunday. It was one of the worst periods of hockey played by the Canadiens all season.
I am pleased that you brought up the issue of accountability. With Price constantly being forced to bear the sins of his teammates, many have escaped the criticism they deserve. Given the fact that they have been unaccountable (and that includes the coach) they haven't been forced to make changes and the rollercoaster season has continued along.
I am firmly in favour of bringing some balance to the goaltending issue. With the hate on one side and hype on the other, the situation is out of control.
I suppose I disagree that goaltenders should focus on wins each time out. In my view, they need focus on making saves. Tying wins/losses to goaltenders ignores the majority of the gameplay.
I hope that you would agree that winning percentage is far too simplistic a way to choose a starting goaltender.
For Halak, it would seem myopic to ignore three poor starts before the break, and a mediocre Olympics in favour of stats padded at the beginning of the season.
I am shocked at the naivety of some hockey columnists who suggest that Martin should give the goaltending reins to Halak for the playoff stretch.
Halak didn't win a single game last March. This season his performance has degraded severely once he gets beyond three consecutive starts.
The vast majority of those same broadcasters also say that Martin must ride Halak the rest of the way.
I know that on several occasions, the Canadiens have abandoned Price. That in itself is a major problem. Why do they do that, but don't appear to bail on Halak…at least not as often. If the team has more confidence in one guy vs the other (despite potential) is also a major problem, if true.
The first period against the Ducks certainly was one of the worst of the season; everyone was at fault for falling behind 3-0.
I've left lengthy comments here regarding the frightening defense. They also need to be accountable for their poor play; I don't know if anyone has been as harsh on the D as I have been. My point is that I see a lot of pinning EVERY goal against Price on the defense, and EVERY goal against Halak as his own fault. That's not to say it isn't sometimes the correct analysis, because it sometimes is. But every time? No freaking way.
You referenced Halak's 3 starts prior to the Olympics as poor ones. The 1st was a 5-3 win against the heavily favored Pens. Sure he looked shaky, but the team won. Not too many goalies look "their best" with Crosby and Malkin terrorizing them. The second game was a 3-0 loss to the Bruins. We have let Price off the hook (rightly so) for losses in which he receives zero goal support. Why not grant Halak that same pass? There was no reason for the Canadiens to vanish like they did. The last game was a total no-show by the Habs as they were blown out by the Flyers. The defense disappeared in front of Halak, yet the focus was on Halak's errors. Meanwhile, when the defense abandons Price, as they did vs the Ducks, he's given a pass. I don't get it.
I've also seen Halak get shortchanged for his 3 shutouts. It is said that the other team didn't show up, or that they were a weak team to begin with. Isn't that petty? I'll bet that weak teams get shutout more often than good teams. That's not the winning goaltender's fault. But I'm willing to bet that if Price shuts out anyone from here until the end, regardless of how the game unfolds, people will do cartwheels over his performance.
All I'm illustrating is that nobody seems to want to apply the same rules and standards to both guys. Martin is not helping matters by setting a "win and you're in" precedent, then switching it up on a whim. Perhaps he truly believes that it doesn't matter who is in goal?
I agree that save percentage proves a goalie's efficiency, but shouldn't be the only factor in deciding who starts which games. But what stats do we look at when deciding who to go with? Wins? G.A.A.? Shootout saves? Special team save %? I suppose the simple answer is to blend all the information and make a call. Or do you flip a coin?
I completely reject the argument that Halak has been spoon fed weaker opposition all season long. It may have been true early on, but that myth has been busted for a couple months now. I also completely reject the notion that the team intentionally plays poorly in front of Price, and tries harder for Halak. Some folks believe that, and I shake my head. It's *possible* that they change up their style, but the effort (or lack thereof) would remain the same.
For my part, I'm going to continue to cheer both goalies, and I will continue to try and be balanced. Both can play well, both can play badly. The defense will likely be poor to mediocre, which makes it easier in my view to judge the goaltending.
As for Martin, perhaps it's time for him to just go back to basics. Win and you play the next game. Wins are what count now, not politics or agendas or keeping one guy or the other happy. Goaltending is not bigger than the team, yet this "problem" is the longest running debate we've seen this year and it's getting worse.
Not sure who rates a player talent, but whoever did they got this one wrong. Halak has been huge not only this year but even when he was backing up Huet. Think back to when Huet went down to injurey in the final two week of the season. Halak stood on his head a had the Canadiens poised to make the playoffs and they Carbonneau started a cold Huet in the final game against the leafs. In which he got lit up like "Red Light Racicot". The habs loose 6-5 and the season is over. Management and the fans give Halak no respect, only the players know who is truly the number one goalie, hopefully Martin figures this one out soon.
Hammer.
I,too, crave balance on this issue but am having trouble finding any.
Perhaps my comments seem offside to you because the table is so heavily tilted in one direction.
Do you find balance in Allan Walsh's comments that despite an absence of Duck scoring chances, Halak's performance was best of the year (and probably an epiphany for all of mankind?).
Perhaps you find balance in Eric Engels who hand picks Halak's wins and uses them to justify starting Halak for the final 15.
Maybe you like Conor McKenna who says there is "no possible justification for playing Price down the stretch". McKenna then concedes Price can make 2 starts of 15 die to back to back games. He concludes that "any reasonable person would agree."
Maybe balance is nothing but a code word for compliance. If that's the case, our meanings differ.
I have no personal feelings other than I would like the Canadiens to win.
But am I the only one who is concerned about riding Halak when he really hasn't been very good when he gets past 3 consecutive starts.
Does it concern anyone else that prior to the Olympics Halak starts were as follows:
vs Pittsburgh 3.01 GAA .857 SV%
vs Boston 3.00 GAA .889 SV%
vs Philadelphia 7.60 GAA .706 SV%
Do those numbers provide some 'possible justification for playing Price'?
Price has been good lately and people want to kick him to the curb. Can you imagine if he had Halak's numbers?
Yes, indeed, where is the balance?
This is crazy. Its cool to hype Halak and to bash Price. And most everyone in Montreal is having a field day piling on.
I'm happy not to be cool, or 'reasonable' or be a bit offside in an environment that is so extremely warped.
I recall that it was the same 'reasonable' people who wanted to run Tomas Plekanec out of town;
the same 'reasonable' people who ridiculed Ryan O'Byrne; and the same 'reasonable' people who crucified the Kostitsyns about a rumour that turned out to be false.
I didn't join in then, and refuse to be part of the mob-mentality that wants to tar-and-feather Price on a daily basis.
Fortunately my views about O'Byrne,Plekanec and the Kostitsyns have been vindicated and the players are still with the team. I hope that the same happens with Price but I'm not confident given the irrational firestorm of hate against him. And, the obvious lack of balance.
Your comments are not offside to me; I dig Price as much as the next guy. I still don't think he should be traded away under any circumstance (but even that statement has its limits though).
As for Walsh, nobody should put any stock in what he says. It says right in his twitter bio that his mission is to promote his clients and max out their compensation.
McKenna is a guy a like, but I remember him saying that today. I thought that was pretty strong. Halak is not going to start the rest of the games unless he goes to an even higher level, which, frankly, won't happen.
I liked Engels story yesterday because he had good things to say about both goalies, as well as reaffirming that Price is still the future. He states that Price has outright stolen 11 of his 13 wins, which I would say is a fine complement. His pain point is that if Price is turned to down the stretch, and the team loses, they're setting themselves up for more problems.
Everyone should be concerned about Halak's stats prior to the break, but those are almost a month old now. He's played some good hockey since. Besides, as we discussed earlier in the thread, what set of stats do we use when trying to decide on who plays? Do we throw stats out and go with instinct?
I doubt it's the latter because we live in a metric-driven world, so some set of data is driving the decision as to who starts, no? I'm also on board with the notion that Halak craps out after 4+ starts and needs a couple game off. This is why we have two capable #1's. I just find the fact that the Habs have a .631 win % when Halak plays a very compelling number and with points more important now than at any point in the year, I'd rather take my chances with those odds. I would also have no problem in putting Price back in once Halak slips, and chances are that he will at some point.
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