Ek's Note: I will be posting another blog from a different Habs writer this afternoon, but first another word from Yesterday's guest blogger Andrew Saadalla. A quick word before beginning my recap: I have never attended a Stanley Cup playoff game at the Bell Centre, let alone the home opener. The atmosphere was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I experienced chills, and was in complete awe of the infamous Bell Centre’s crowd. The opening ceremony was true to the Canadiens’ highly reputable style, and the 21,273 hockey fans in attendance drowned out Ginette Reno’s powerful and heartfelt rendition of the Canadian national anthem. The tribute to the late Ottawa Senators’ assistant coach Mark Reeds, who died on April 14th after a hard-fought battle with cancer, was very classy. Sadly, the same cannot be said about the select fans that yelled obscenities during the moment of silence. The Montreal fan base is supposed to emulate the prestige that defines the Canadiens organization, and unfortunately, there are people out there who endlessly fail to show any respect. Devante Smith-Pelly really stood out for me in the first period. In forming a trio with Desharnais and Parenteau, they represented a line that had underachieved throughout the season, and that was given a chance to redeem themselves. While the latter two showed flashes of brilliance at first, their efforts amounted to nothing. Smith-Pelly, on the other hand was given a vote of confidence by head coach Michel Therrien, even earning himself penalty kill duty. He played like his scalp was on fire; as if he was on a mission to singlehandedly win the game. He could often be found trying to bother Ottawa Senators’ goalie Andrew Hammond. He hit everything that moved, ending the night with 6 hits while relentlessly pursuing the puck and looking to finish his checks. He’s done well in getting in shape, as per the team’s training personnel demands, evidenced by increased speed and cardiovascular endurance.
His single shot on goal was a scoring chance that hit the post in the third period. His linemates seemed to drag him down, and are surely responsible in Therrien limiting his ice-time to 13:29 when he deserved more on a night where he proved that he is indeed a playoff performer. What is there to say about Andrei Markov scoring on Carey Price? I don’t recall the last time he’s made a mistake of the sort, but his signature steadiness and hockey smarts took over for the remainder of the game. Nathan Beaulieu had the jitters, unwisely pinching at inopportune times and getting caught up ice early on. Thankfully, Tomas Plekanec more than made up for the rookie defenseman’s shortcomings by backchecking and breaking up plays in the defensive zone. While Beaulieu did get an assist on Flynn’s goal and finished +2 on the evening, he might have feared for a minute that healthy scratch and former Ottawa Senator Sergei Gonchar would take his place in the lineup. The second period was when the entire game was played. A quiet Bell Centre crowd was brought to life when fourth-liner Torrey Mitchell, aided by Flynn and Subban, tied the match at 1-1 with a beautiful wraparound he scored on his backhand. P.K. also assisted on the goal that gave Montreal a 2-1 lead as Plekanec scored 15 seconds later, before Michel Lacroix could even finish announcing the first tally. After a little over 9 minutes of playing time, Montreal’s star defenseman was deservedly given a game misconduct penalty after slashing Senators’ forward Mark Stone. Arguably, Stone embellished his injury- he returned shortly after heading back to the locker room to be examined- but Subban’s selfish and childish behavior was unacceptable. I highly doubt that he will be further disciplined, and the League might choose to hold a phone hearing as a formality for Dave Cameron’s team. Otherwise, look to have P.K. back in the lineup on Friday night. The Sens will try to get under his skin at every opportunity, and Subban might as well wear a target en lieu of the number 76 on the back of his jersey. A total of 6 goals were scored in less than 11 minutes in the second frame. Emotions ran extremely high at the Bell Centre, and one of the turning points in this game had to be Eller’s spectacular shorthanded goal that beat Hammond high on the blocker side. The Hamburglar otherwise looked weak on the three other goals, two of which were wraparounds and one that Plekanec fired five-hole. The rookie goaltender seemed to lack a hint of confidence, surely affected by the crowd continuously chanting his name with the intent of distracting him. The third period was defensive-oriented and revolved around puck-possession. Protecting the lead was Michel Therrien’s plan, as the team employed a dump-and-chase tactic while often playing along the boards and cycling the puck behind the net. This game of keep-away secured the Canadiens’ victory over the Senators in the first game of their series. I would define this game as a character win. With their top scorer out of the lineup, their best defenseman ejected roughly 28 minutes into the game, an own-goal and especially without Carey Price having to stand on his head and steal a game, the Montreal Canadiens have proven that they will not allow any sort of adversity to affect them. This victory speaks volumes about this team’s spirit, chemistry, and willingness to battle against the odds. It also says a lot about the coaching. Michel Therrien successfully rallied his troops, yet there is no way he could have predicted the exemplary leadership his players embodied. The fourth line alone accounted for 2 goals and 5 points. Down a man on the blue line, Tom Gilbert rose to the occasion in blocking the most shots on either team (6), Jeff Petry had 6 shots (more than any other player), and even Alexei Emelin, who has a tendency to force plays, had 6 hits to tie Smith-Pelly for second amongst all skaters. It looks like the Montreal Canadiens fan base is finally learning to appreciate Therrien’s work. The crowd cheered loudly when he was featured on the big screen. I doubt he will make changes to the lineup come Friday night, when the Habs look to maintain their winning ways against a team that is undoubtedly furious.