Washington Post (Tarik El-Bashir):

Asked if he planned to address the final minute of Tuesday’s game with his players before the opening faceoff tonight, Coach Bruce Boudreau said, ‘We’ll use anything that works.”

Canadiens Coach Guy Carbonneau, meantime, defended his late-game personnel decisions.

“I played long enough in the NHL and Boudreau played long enough to know that a three-goal lead is never safe, even with three minutes to play,” he told reporters in Montreal yesterday. “I have lost some three goal leads before. The day that I will step my foot off the pedal in this situation, I will stop coaching.”

Habster:

I’m glad Guy Carbonneau made the above comment as he is correct to point out that momentum and a three goal lead can evapourate in a blink of an eye….do I have to remind Mr. Kozlov of the 4-1 lead that the Canadiens squandered against the Predators in Nashville with 7:34 remaining in the game (Boxscore). The Habs ended up losing the game 5-4 in a shootout so stop whinning Capitals and just play harder…..I guess Bruce Boudreau will use this to motivate his players as pride and hard work doesn’t seem to be enough!!!
Carbonneau wants his players to have more of a “killer instinct” when they can be aggressive and play hard the entire 60 minutes of a game……it’s not Carbonneau’s job to change that thinking but it’s up to the Caps to play better in tonight’s rematch in Washington.