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Recap of Habs-Rangers, by Andrew Saadalla |
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After going through some of the comments under my blog from yesterday, I came to two conclusions:
1. Some of you guys can be really weird. Funny, but weird.
2. Nobody predicted a 5-1 shellacking of the New York Rangers.
The first twenty minutes of play at the infamous Madison Square Garden were fairly even from both teams, who predictably offered viewers the type of freewheeling and exciting hockey that fans adore. As the years go by, we’re seeing less and less of the overly physical style of play that defined certain franchises such as the Philadelphia Flyers and the Boston Bruins. Instead, it’s making way for an emphasis on speed and skill. Size is therefore becoming secondary, except when it comes to goaltenders, though that’s a discussion for another time.
It was certainly an entertaining hockey game, especially for Montreal Canadiens fans. Devante Smith-Pelly fit in perfectly alongside Max Pacioretty (1G, 1A) and Tomas Plekanec (3 assists). He scored two timely goals by making his way to the front of Henrik Lundqvist’s net, and the Habs subsequently managed to chase the superstar goalie away after scoring 5 goals on 24 shots.
Alex Galchenyuk now has two goals in his last two games, although he did continue to miss the net on a few occasions. Perhaps he’s becoming stronger and simply hasn’t fully mastered the control he needs to hit the target more often. However, patience is of utmost importance with a 21-year-old, and he’ll soon find his groove and consistency. His line mate, Sven Andrighetto, scored his first goal since being recalled by the Habs this season and that trio has proven to have an undeniable chemistry with Lars Eller. Andrighetto could be the winger this line was hoping Alexander Semin was. Semin played under 6 minutes last night due to an injury, and had to leave the game. Bud Holloway was practicing this morning on the fourth line with Paul Byron and Brian Flynn, and will potentially play his first NHL game on Friday night against the New Jersey Devils.
As the lineup stands right now, all four lines are well-balanced in terms of speed, strength, passing and goal-scoring abilities.
Evidently, given the system that head coach Michel Therrien employs, every single player is responsible for their defensive plays. He’s very strict with regards to expectations of back checking and supporting the defensemen, and it seems like every player is on the same page as the organization and coaching staff.
The biggest news out of last night’s match is undoubtedly the injury Carey Price sustained while making a lateral movement. Therrien confirmed that it was the same area that Price had hurt previously, which had kept him out of the lineup for nearly a month. Mike Condon certainly held his own when replacing the number one goaltender, and it will be on him to provide the same quality of play once again, as Price has been placed on the injured reserve for the foreseeable future.
The hope is that it’s a minor tweak to his past injury, and that no surgical intervention of any size will be required. Strangely, by his second game against the New York Islanders on Sunday, Price looked more than ready to undertake the remainder of the season. He could possibly need to rehab his injury and rest for a little while longer before jumping back into the mix. After all, the franchise’s most valuable player needs to be taken care of in order to sustain a long and successful career.
In other news, Jarred Tinordi will be sent down to St. John’s Ice Caps on a conditioning stint. As he voluntarily accepted the demotion, he will not be required to go through waivers.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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