Bruins – Canadiens Game 2 preview. Montreal leads the series 1-0
MONTREAL, QC.– Scanning through the playoff predictions, it was clear that most prognosticators believed that that the Boston Bruins would simply steam-roll to a first-round victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Fresh in their minds was the way the Bruins were able to intimidate the Canadiens in last-season games with thuggery, then taking advantage of a tentative Montreal team by proving that they have some hockey talent too. Most believed that it was impossible for the Habs to win a even single game at TD Garden.
In the days leading up to the playoffs as I was asked for my opinion from various media outlets, folks seemed surprised that I was optimistic about Montreal’s chances in this series. My enthusiasm was probably dismissed as homerism — although regular readers will know that I tell it like it is and could never be accused of cheerleading. Somehow erased from the memory banks is that the Canadiens won the regular season series 4-2.
I can understand why most columnists gave the nod to the Bruins in the scoring and size categories, but I was most puzzled that, when it came to goaltending, few gave the advantage to Montreal. Yes, Tim Thomas had an excellent season but goaltending is an easier position when one gets offensive support and the opposition is always playing catch-up. Boston scored the most 5-on-5 goals in the NHL this season.
Carey Price on the other hand tied for the most wins in the NHL playing in one of the most offensively-challenged systems in the league. Let’s not forget Price’s regular season domination of the Bruins with a 13-4-2 career record.
In Game 1 of the series, the goalie matchup was a slam-dunk victory for Price. Thomas, the 37-year old veteran, looked nervous and shaky, even with his light workload — only 18 saves (the same number that Price made in the second period.) Had coach Jacques Martin not erected stop signs at the red line for his forwards in the final 40 minutes, we might have witnessed the much-hyped Vezina candidate riding the pine.
“[Price] had a lot of great saves for them out there,” said Bruins forward Brad Marchand. “He was a difference-maker for them. He’s a great goalie, one of the best in the League.”
Price had a brilliant game and was worthy of praise from players on both teams. Boston fans complained that their shooters kept targeting the CH on Price’s chest, but that’s simply a testament to the superb positioning of the Canadiens goaltender throughout the game. Talent, technique, poise and superior mental focus were all in Price’s favor.
Montreal defensemen did a great job of fronting Bruins forwards to minimize traffic near Price. The task will get much more difficult as Boston has signalled that they will bring a full frontal assault towards the Montreal crease. One Boston writer, Doug Watson, went one step further recommending that the Bruins “start running over Price – literally.”
The Bruins also promise to be more physical in all areas of the ice in Game 2. Some are surprised that in the regular season series it was the Canadiens outhitting Boston 143-135. Ryan White and James Wisniewski were the leaders for the Habs on Thursday night combining for 12 hits.
With the Bruins talking tough on the off-day, expect the NHL officiating crew to be calling things close on Saturday night. The Habs need to be much better on the power-play, which went 0-for-4 and looked anemic in Game 1 — they were 32.1% effective with the man advantage against Boston during the regular season. Montreal will have to continue to be disciplined staying out of the scrums and playing whistle-to-whistle avoiding retaliation penalties.
Boston entered the series with a cocky swagger. Thursday’s loss loosened the screws on their confidence — it could become completely unhinged with a second home loss (and sixth playoff loss in a row). The TD Garden faithful are a nervous bunch and could get ugly if the home side trails early — fans serenaded the Bruins with boos in the third period of Thursday’s game.
“I thought that we dominated a good part of the game, spent a lot of time in the offensive end and basically we didn’t score goals,” said Bruins coach Claude Julien after the Game 1 loss.
There are no moral victories and no points for field position. Starting to creep into the Bruins collective mindset is the Canadiens mystique and stellar play of Carey Price. Montreal can’t let Boston restore their dented confidence by playing tentatively.
Speed kills — the Canadiens must use their quickness as they did in the first period of Thursday’s game to exploit the plodding Boston defense. They should continue to make prudent use of the stretch pass, a Kirk Muller addition to the game plan, to mitigate the Bruins forecheck. Quick puck movement is key to exiting their own zone with few defenseman in the lineup who can skate it out of trouble.
Montreal will need the same effort from their top six forwards — Tomas Plekanec, Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez and Andrei Kostitsyn all had excellent performances in Game 1. Lars Eller and Ryan White also played very well in a supporting role. While each member of the defensive corps made a significant contribution to the win with solid work in their own end, more will be demanded of them in Game 2.
Mike Cammalleri will have to follow Gomez’s example by picking up his game in the playoffs if he is hoping to salvage his mediocre season — and give the Canadiens a chance to win the series. It’s unclear yet whether the playoff stage is just too grand for David Desharnais who was invisible in Game 1 and left off the power-play unit. I’m not sure that there is a Canadiens player who had a worse season than Benoit Pouliot — the coaching staff seems content to wait for one of his ‘blue moon’ performances as the talented forward continues to occupy a valuable lineup spot.
Montreal played extremely well but was Game 1 the “perfect road game?” No, definitely not — that’s silly talk. Getting outshot 18-6 in the second period is just one clue that the Canadiens will have to make adjustments for Game 2. Playing a carbon copy version of the opener will hand the Bruins a chance to even the series.
The Habs must continue to protect the middle of the ice, pressure Bruins forwards and defense into turnovers and get an early lead. Montreal will need better efforts from several players and their power-play. They won’t be able to sneak through this playoff season trying to protect one-goal leads for two-thirds of a game — the surprise factor is gone on that strategy.
Zdeno Chara, David Krejci, and Milan Lucic were a frustrated lot after Game 1. Tim Thomas, Dennis Seidenberg and Tomas Kaberle all showed signs of vulnerability. The Canadiens will need an excellent start to Saturday night’s game to ensure that they remain in the heads of the Bruins and help remind the B’s why they have only managed two victories in seven opportunities this season.
Game time is 7:00 p.m. at the TD Garden.