Price Steals Win Vs TBL + Boeser Show Comes To Montreal + Mete Golden (Pacioretty)

Pacioretty

Price Steals Win Vs TBL + Boeser Show Comes To Montreal + Mete Golden

By Brandon Smillie

Jan 7, 2018 • 7:21 am

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PRICE DOES PRICE THINGS TO STEAL VICTORY OVER BOLTS

The Canadiens were carried to victory by Carey Price in their previous game against the Tampa Bay Lighting. Price was sensational all game and especially in OT when he made Save Of The Year calibre stop on the Lightning’s O Palat to keep the team alive. A barrel roll into a pad stack into a desperation reach toe save. Unreal from Price as he showed he really, really didn’t want to lose that game.

Price made 44 saves through 65 minutes of hockey before P Byron scored the only goal in the shoot out for the victory.

It appeared to be an impossible feat before puck dropped on that game and we were shown that the Habs still have some fight left in them, especially Price. Despite being out shot the Canadiens did a good job limiting the Lightning’s PP opportunities as both teams only had 2 man advantages in the game. Any more PP time for the Lightning and this game could have been another L on the Habs record.

Actually, that may have been more helpful to the big picture going forward, but at least we saw Sergachev give us a nice assist on Pacioretty’s goal and quiet some of that Sergachev/Drouin noise for a bit.

While a win may not help their chances of landing R Dahlin at least the pesky Sens have won two and a row and are one point away from leapfrogging the Canadiens. If they do jump over the Habs that would put them in 3rd last in the NHL ahead of Buffalo and Arizona, and there is no way they are getting below them so they are pretty much at optimal draft position.

BOESER AND HIS CANUCKS COME TO MONTREAL

Tonight the Canadiens get a look at the likely Rookie Of The Year winner Brock Boeser and his Vancouver Canucks on Bell Centre ice, with puck drop slated for 7pm EST.

Not enough can be said about the impressive, 20 year old rookie Boeser and its easy to see in his stat line. He has put up 22 goals and 17 assisting 38 games for the retooling Canucks to lead the team and have a PPG pace. He broke in this season after two incredible seasons in North Dakota of the NCAA that included a National Championship.

Boeser is the real deal and reminds me of Joe Sakic, all kinds of hockey smarts, skating ability, a lethal shot, and class. Canucks have a gem there, and he will face one of the worlds best in Carey Price tonight.

This is an interesting match up as the Canadiens and Canucks are very close in the standings and some stats and I wouldn’t be surprised if neither teams fanbase wanted to take these two points tonight as the winner could leap frog the Panthers and Oilers and take themselves further away from the best Draft Day prizes.

But the game will happen and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Canadiens come out strong against Weber and Price’s (kinda) hometown team.

The Habs will rely on scoring by committee, as they have all season since there hasn’t been any player capable of creating offence consistently, so if they manage to contain Boeser it will be two lunch pail style teams looking for some grease around the crease to win the game.

The Habs practice lines yesterday appeared to show us the starting lineup for tonight, the exception being Price out for Niemi due to flu virus. It isn’t known if he will start tonight, but I would bet he does.

Price's record is definitely getting better, now at 12-14-2 with a .910 SP% and 2.92 GAA. He is the only real obstacle in MTL's quest for Dahlen.

Lineup below is from the Canadiens official site.

Pacioretty - Danault - Hudon Byron/Carr - Plekanec - Gallagher Galchenyuk - Drouin - Lehkonen Deslauriers - de la Rose/Froese - Shaw

Alzner - Petry Benn - Jerabek  Morrow - Schlemko

Niemi Carey Price was absent from practice with the flu.

Canucks are likely to start Markstrom in net who has slowly been earning himself a starting job with the team. Markstrom is 10-13-5 with a .907 SP% and a 2.76 GAA.

METE WINS GOLD FOR CANADA, RETURNING TO HABS… BUT FUTURE UNCLEAR

It is reported that Victor Mete will return to the Canadiens next Friday (Jan. 12, 2018) but Coach Julien admitted that the future isn’t that clear for Mete yet.

Mete should be returned to junior at this point where the London Knights can trade him to a Memorial Cup contender to ride out the season, and where he could be able to join Team Canada at the 2018 Olympics this February.

I think the possibility of Mete playing some really meaningful hockey, in leadership roles, would have such an incredible impact on his development as a player and person. Much more positive impacts than sitting in a beautiful dressing room with a bunch of his elder peers stressing about trades, losses, and contracts will have.

Hopefully, Montreal makes the right call again with Mete like they did releasing him to Canada’s junior team where he was the teams best overall defender, consistently.

POEHLING GRABS BRONZE WITH TEAM USA

Canadiens prospect Ryan Poehling finished up the tournament with a big Bronze medal win against the Czech’s after failing to qualify for the gold medal game.

Poehling had a very good tournament for Team USA and was counted on as the teams best, all round Center. He may not have had the same impact on the scoresheet that superstar in the making C Mittelstadt had, but Poehling’s 1G and 2 A in 7 games were still very good for the newly 19 year old (Jan 3.).

The Canadiens look to have a C in the system that can play important minutes and situations with offensive upside. Poehling is still eligible for next years junior tournament as well, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he is convinced to join the Canadiens next in a very important development year for not only Poehling, but the Habs. He definitely has 2nd line center potential with an outside shot at being a very capable 1B C, someone who is likely to be a top quality player who may not reach 70pt potential.

Poehling will return to St. Cloud State U where he will chase a National Championship on a top team.

BERGEVIN TO ADDRESS MEDIA AT 5 PM EST TODAY.

Marc Bergevin is going to field some surely impressive questions today prior to the Canadiens game against the Canucks.

Not sure if my schedule will allow me to see it but if you’re on twitter be sure to keep scrolling your timelines for quotes and information from the presser. I’m sure it will give us all some talking points heading into the second half of this season.

Until then, Go Habs Go!

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