Yes, your Montreal Canadiens lost yesterday’s game, but there are a lot of positives to take from that game. The point the Habs were able to get meant securing a little bit more their playoff spot. With only 7 games left to play, every single point is of the utmost importance. And the players looked ready to fight for them as soon as the puck dropped. They were intense and hard like this was already the playoffs.

Dandenault, Metropolit and Higgins were hard at work from the beginning with great work on the forecheck and could have given the Habs the lead in the first minutes of the game. The first line kept the pace they imposed in the past two games and created a lot of scoring opportunities. And while Buffalo went back in their dressing room with a one goal lead, thanks to a superb setup by Hetch to Mair, the Habs clearly were playing a better period.

The second period started rather badly. Hamerlik took a bad interference and Connolly blasted one past Price. It seemed to break the Canadiens flow for a couple of minutes but as usual, there was a hard working line to bring them back up in the game. No, not Lapierre this time, it was Dandenault who made a good cross ice pass to Higgins who fired through Miller. The momentum was back for the Bleu blanc rouge.

The first line then started to capitalize on their opportunity with Kovalev being the lucky player adding two goals to his stats. The first one when he deflected a wraparound shot by Koivu and the second one when he received Schneider shot/pass in his skate and showed a lot of skills to bring it back on his stick and shooting before Miller had the time to cover the hole to his left. Within 8 minutes Montreal was leading by two goals.

The third period was somewhat of a letdown. The Canadiens weren’t as hungry; they looked like a team that didn’t want to give the win to the Sabres more than a team looking to bury them. And the Sabres obviously knew how bad losing in regulation would be for them, they can’t afford to be 7 points behind with as many game to play. They ended up with 16 shots in the period with only one that Price couldn’t handle.

After an uneventful overtime period, the teams battled it out in shootout. Both goaltenders were very solid until Price let one go five hole and Lapierre wasn’t able to tie the game.

Carey Price was actually solid all game long, not only in third period and shootout. He was magnificent and couldn’t be blamed for the goals allowed in regulation. The first line was solid and now combined for 19 points in their past 3 games. Who said Koivu and Kovalev couldn’t play together?

The third and fourth line were playing solid, never let down hockey. Lapierre and co. combined for 8 shots and 9 hits and Kostopoulos didn’t back down from Craig Rivet in the first period. Metropolit, Higgins and Dandenault seemed to be a thorn in the Sabres side all game long with good forecheck and aggressive pursuit of the puck.

But defensively the Habs were a lot worse. Hamerlik was playing some bad hockey, Patrice Brisebois too. And there seemed to be a lack in communication often between players who should be used to each other by now. Breezer and Hamerlik during a line change, Komisarek and Markov with the puck mere feet away from the goal. On both occasion Price was able to save his defensemen but it still wasn’t pretty.

Before I go, let’s look at the standings in the East, everybody that could mathematically be in the playoffs to the highest seed the Habs could mathematically get.

Games to watch:

Tonight Ottawa is playing Tampa Bay and Philadelphia meet Boston.

Tomorrow New Jersey is facing the Rangers.

Tuesday Florida plays Ottawa as the Habs receive Chicago.