All Habs Rewind – Playoffs ECF: Habs in a Battle

Amy

10 years ago

by Amy Johnson, Video Editor/Producer, All Habs Hockey Magazine

MONTREAL, QC – Need to get caught up on Habs highlights? Want to relive the memorable moments of the past week?

Then All Habs Rewind is for you.

Every Sunday watch the most unforgettable goals, saves, hits by your Montreal Canadiens compiled by our video production team! Then tell us which one you liked most in the comments section below.

The Eastern Conference Finals had arrived and with the Habs having home ice advantage, fans were hopeful for an exciting series. But game one was anything but exciting for Montreal fans. The Rangers scored twice in the first period, and continued scoring throughout the game. The Canadiens’ offense was lackluster, with Rene Bourque scoring a goal in the second period and Lars Eller potting a shortie in the third. Bourque’s goal was hardly anything to cheer about, as he took three penalties that ended up being costly. Carey Price was pulled for the final frame, but not because he wasn’t performing well. A net crash by Chris Kreider earlier in the game left Price looking like he was favoring his right knee and wincing in pain. Peter Budaj wasn’t able to fend off the aggressive New York forwards, leading to a dismal result to the evening. Final score: Rangers, 7-2. (Read our full recap here: Habs Unprepared to Handle Rangers)

Monday brought more bad news with the announcement that Price would not play again for the remainder of the series. Budaj would stay in the backup position, however, as youngster Dustin Tokarski was tapped as the starter. This game was played much more tightly then the first one, and Tokarski showed some finesse in net. Max Pacioretty scored the first goal in the opening period, but the Rangers struck back almost immediately. Once again, the Habs offense could not figure out Henrik Lundqvist weak spots. Final score: Rangers, 3-1. (Read our full recap here: Lundqvist Takes One for the Rangers)

Game three took the Canadiens to New York City with a lot on the line, down 2-0 in the series. Things got physical pretty quickly in this game when Brandon Prust had a late hit on Derek Stepan which was missed by the officials. It would later earn him a two-game suspension. That led to a hostile crowd and opponent, as emotions ramped up. A scuffle between Prust and Derek Dorsett had enforcer Daniel Carcillo stepping in to stir things up. Carcillo got physical with the ref who tried to break things up, landing him an automatic 10-game suspension. On the positive side, the Habs had a bit more jump in their skates, with Andrei Markov putting a puck past Lundqvist in the second period, and Danny Briere sealing the 2-1 lead in the third. But then, with just under 30 seconds remaining in regulation, Kreider knotted things up once again and forced overtime. Madison Square Garden was silenced early into the extra period, when Alex Galchenyuk knocked one in to win the game. Final score: Canadiens, 3-2 (OT). (Read our full recap here: Habs Battle Their Way Into the Series)

The Habs have put themselves back in this series, which continues Sunday night in New York for Game 4. Until then, we’ve got plenty of content to keep you busy reading about your favourite team! In case you missed them, here are a few fantastic articles published earlier this week:

Puck the Bunny Predicts: Eastern & Western Conference Finals

Champions Hockey League Inaugural Season

Will Therrien Choose Moen or Bournival for Game 4?

All Habs Three Weekly Stars

1st Star: Lars Eller

With the Habs struggling to score in the first three games of the series, four forwards are tied for the team lead with two points. Lars Eller who had a goal and an assist gets the nod as his two points keeps him atop the scoring for Habs forwards in the playoffs.

2nd Star: Alex Galchenyuk

Alex Galchenyuk scored one goal only but it was the game-winner in overtime ending Game 3.

3rd Star: Dustin Tokarki

Dustin Tokarski was decent in his pro playoff debut in Game 2 but had a strong performance in Game 3 for the win.

Who was your favourite player this week?