Written by Kristina, Allhabs.net
MONTREAL, QC. — It was as if someone took a needle and popped a helium-filled ballon in a crowded room at a kid’s birthday party. That’s exactly what happened the moment the Canadiens conceded their fifth shorthanded goal of the season at the 8:47 mark of the second period, holding onto the most dangerous lead in hockey.
The Canadiens managed to get out of the second period without giving up another one, but it was already too late. As the Canadiens appeared to be deflated by their inability to do anything on the power-play other than consistently give up short handed goals, the Canucks found their legs and some life in a hockey game they appeared to be out of.
Let’s rewind.
The Canadiens started the game much better than they had against the Blue Jackets but it is still took them 4:15 to register their first shot on net. Luckily for them, Frederic St-Denis’s second shot for the Canadiens managed to get past a screened Luongo and the Habs were on the board first.
Things were looking good. A one goal lead, a dynamite 5-on-3 penalty against the best powerplay in the league and a bit of help from a shaky Roberto Luongo who looked like he was fighting the puck for most of the first period. Even the second goal that went past Luongo looked eerily similiar to the first, a point shot from another rookie defenseman, this time Raphael Diaz.
In contrast to Luongo, Carey Price looked energized, making 13 saves in the first period. Price was particularly impressive on the penalty kill, shutting the door on Daniel Sedin in the slot and following it up with a scramble save to stop Alex Burrows at the side of the net.
Luongo’s struggles continued in the second, allowing Erik Cole to go five-hole on a two-on-one with Max Pacioretty at the 2:20 mark. But after conceding that weak goal, Luongo shut the door. The unsure save made on Brian Gionta as he looked behind him for the puck was the start of the momentum shift for the Canucks.
Less than two minutes later, Mason Raymond scored shorthanded.
Let’s fast forward.
As much as I’d like to give credit to the Canadiens for mounting a three goal lead, I cannot because it is not every night you score three goals on nine shots. Luongo’s shaky play was in large part, if not entirely, the catalyst in making the Canadiens seem like they were handing it to the Stanley Cup finalists through the first part of the game.
But in reality, the Canadiens were outshot by almost a two-to-one margin in the first period, they allowed a 5-on-3 for about a minute and thirty seconds and they relied on their goaltender to save their bacon and preserve a lead. That certainly does not sound like a team who was dominating play.
Sure, you could say that the Canadiens evened out the shots on net in second period outshooting Vancouver 10-5, but the minute Raymond scored shorthanded, the entire anatomy of the game changed.
The scoreboard that read 3-0 prior to Raymond’s goal was a deceiving illusion. An illusion for the fans and an illusion for the Canadiens.
Illusion was replaced with reality in the third period.
The Canadiens unravelled. Hodgson scored 4:24 into the third and the Canucks were suddenly skating. Meanwhile, the Canadiens looked slow, tentative and quite honestly they looked like they were a team that was afraid to lose for the eleventh time on home ice in fifteen attempts.
The Canadiens were reeling, stuck defending while the Canucks did not let them get a sniff of the puck during the 4 on 4 at the start of the third. You could tell that the Canucks smelt blood. The players reverted to a defensive shell with a “let’s hope we can pull this one out” approach while the Canucks simply took advantage of the Canadiens’ fragility.
I don’t believe those were instructions from the coach.
In life, when you are attacked, the natural reaction is to defend. It is instinctive and such is the same in sport.
The Canucks’ improved play in the third combined with the Canadiens’ apprehension towards losing yet another home game was a recipe for defensive zone disaster.
The moment Eller got an opportunity to go on the attack in the offensive zone, he was over-zealous and took a crosschecking penalty which ultimately lead to Sami Salo’s tying goal at 15:20 of the third.
Overtime was much of the same, solving nothing as the Canucks skated circles in the offensive zone while the Canadiens attempted to keep their head above water. It didn’t matter anyway, because Cody Hodgson took the honors of sinking the Habs in the shootout, scoring the lone goal.
The Canadiens home record drops to 4-5-6, an NHL worst on the season as they occupy 11th in the East, one point out of the playoffs.
It doesn’t appear there will be any celebratory balloons anytime soon.
(Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHL via Getty Images)