by Amy Johnson, Video Producer and Sara, Video Editor, All Habs Hockey Magazine
MONTREAL, QC. — Need to get caught up on Habs highlights? Want to relive the memorable moments of the past week?
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.
Week seven opened and closed with third period comeback wins for the Canadiens. They kicked off a five-game road trip on Sunday with a physical matchup in Boston. Peter Budaj was in net for the Habs, and despite making 31 saves, it was the team in front of him that made the difference. The Canadiens took an early lead with goals in the first period by Tomas Plekanec and David Desharnais. A slow second period was a common theme for the Habs this week, including this game with the Bruins taking a 4-2 lead. Zdeno Chara found himself in the penalty box for an extended period of time after instigating a fight with Alexei Emelin, and the Canadiens wasted no time in taking advantage of the time the defenseman was off the ice. Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais both scored in the third period, giving the Canadiens a final score of 4-3.
Traveling to Long Island on Tuesday night, Carey Price took his place back in the net for the Canadiens. Tomas Plekanec got the scoring started in the first period, followed by P.K. Subban with a goal in the second period, and Brian Gionta with a power play goal in the third. Unfortunately, a breakdown in coverage in the second and third periods allowed the Islanders to score three goals in each of those periods, handing Montreal their first regulation loss in over a month. Gionta’s goal marked the 20,000th goal by the Canadiens since the inception of the NHL in 1917.
The road trip continued in North Carolina on Thursday, with the Habs posting a 4-2 win over the Hurricanes. Brandon Prust and Josh Gorges both potted a goal in the first period to get the Canadiens on the board early. Despite another slow and sloppy second period, which allowed the ‘Canes to tie the game with two goals of their own, the Habs rallied in the third with a goal by Lars Eller and a power play goal by P.K. Subban. Carey Price was the best player on the ice in this game, recording a season-high 41 saves which included stopping Eric Staal‘s penalty shot in the second period.
The team traveled even farther south for the weekend, stopping in Tampa Bay on Saturday night for a tilt against the the Lightning. Greg Pateryn joined the team in Florida for his debut game. With both teams scoreless after the first period, the Habs found themselves the victims of another lackluster second period, during which the Lightning scored three goals. Tomas Plekanec answered by sneaking a puck past Cedrick Desjardins. The tables turned in the third period, with Montreal outshooting Tampa Bay. Brian Gionta scored a power play goal, after which Alexei Emelin and Brendan Gallagher each also scored a goal to give the Habs their second comeback win of the week. Brandon Prust left the game early with an apparent shoulder injury after careening into the end boards in an attempt to chase down a puck.
The Canadiens wrap up their extended road trip tonight with a game against the Florida Panthers, still holding on to a first place lead in the Eastern Conference.
Our All Habs colleague Jocelyne LeBlanc has selected her Three Stars for the past week. Tell us if you agree or who you would have picked.
Jocelyne’s Three Stars
Last week, between March 3 and March 9, the Montreal Canadiens played four games and recorded three wins and one loss. A lot of players racked up points last week, as fifteen goals and twenty-six assists were recorded. Listed below are my choices for the top three stars from last week.
1st Star: P.K. Subban
Last week, Subban tallied five points with two goals and three assists. As a matter of fact, both goals he scored were on the power play.
2nd Star: Michael Ryder
Ryder racked up six assists last week. He was also the leading point producer for the Canadiens last week.
3rd Star: Brian Gionta
Gionta recorded two goals and one assist last week. Both goals were recorded on the power play.
Check out Jocelyne’s Weekly Forecast for players to watch this upcoming week!
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