Timing is everything.
You can forget about the first four games, game five was an opportunity to seize the advantage in a series that would be decided in--at most--three games. The Boston Bruins reeled it in with relative ease, while the Canadiens, caught on the line, wriggled a little bit before succumbing.
Nothing seemed to go right for Montreal.
The first period featured several key opportunities to take the lead, but the Canadiens' powerplay shot blanks. It also featured a fair degree of sloppy play, typified by Tomas Plekanec's two penalties and his failure to stick to his man on the game's first goal--this after he iced the puck and failed to win the defensive zone faceoff.
Plekanec's second penalty of the frame bled into the second period, and Reilly Smith helped the Bruins capitalize. Less than 30 seconds later, Plekanec was back in the box for high-sticking, instead of back on the ice trying to recapture the deficit he was largely responsible for. The Bruins struck again, with Jarome Iginla finishing off a quick faceoff play from Torey Krug. It took them six seconds.
Timing, eh?
What a time for Plekanec to play his worst game of the year.
What a time for the Bruins to finally have their powerplay come to life-- not that Plekanec's presence in the box for both of their goals didn't have anything to do with that.
Boston might be the one team that can sit on a three-goal lead for more than half a hockey game and still come out on top. They seemed content to do that until Brendan Gallagher screened Tuukka Rask, eventually tipping Plekanec's shot into the net to draw the Canadiens into the game with 5:21 remaining in the second period.
The Bruins didn't panic. They stuck to stifling defense until the Canadiens eventually had a breakdown in the third period that gave Loui Eriksson a backbreaking goal with less than six minutes to play.
With 3:22 remaining in the third period, and the Montreal net empty, P.K. Subban took a wild rush down the ice and found himself in the corner. Subban backpedaled into Matt Bartowski, forcing the young defenseman into taking a penalty. With the crowd belting out a "Subban sucks" chant, he hammered away--over and over again--until he nailed one top-shelf to make the game 4-2.
The Habs knew they weren't going to get three goals in such a short time frame, but they didn't give up. And that sets the stage for their first must-win game of the year, tonight at the Bell Centre.
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1) Max Pacioretty came out and spoke for 10 minutes with reporters ahead of game five. His lack of performance was acknowledged at length. He played his best game of the series thereafter, but he still wasn't able to find the back of the net. And though it was his best game of the series, it was far from the best game he's capable of.
Whatever confidence he hoped to manufacture in the game may not have materialized. We won't know until tonight. He had one very impressive rush on Rask that was close. He missed a couple of open nets on the powerplay, and he failed to gain the inside track on Chara for the most part.
What chance do the Canadiens have of winning the next two games if he can't find some way to break through?
2) P.K. Subban was right about the fact that had he squirted water in Shawn Thornton's face, it would be a national crisis that probably wouldn't have dissipated for days. The difference with the roles reversed? Shawn Thornton is irrelevant.
This kind of thing has been happening in hockey forever. But to do it while the game is in full flight, while Subban has the puck on his stick, that's pretty chicken--to borrow Milan Lucic's favorite saying.
All of that said, who cares?
3) Michel Therrien deserves all the credit for bringing the Canadiens to this point, but he also faces fair criticism for his decisions with Saturday's lineup.
Brandon Prust came in for Daniel Briere, who had a lousy performance in game four regardless of his negligible ice-time. Prust managed to be less effective.
Douglas Murray remained in for Francis Bouillon, but lo and behold, the Bruins were able to take advantage of him on more than one occasion.
Therrien had the opportunity to change a couple of things with his top lines, but must have believed they were going to change things themselves. Thomas Vanek remained on the right side of Plekanec, having not played his natural position of left wing (where he's killed the Bruins from throughout his entire career) at all in the playoffs. Michael Bournival continued to complete their line until the old version of Rene Bourque eventually took over.
Perhaps Dale Weise could've offered Pacioretty and David Desharnais the room that Brendan Gallagher tries so hard to find them despite his physical limitations, but that wasn't attempted in this game.
4) Coaching decisions aside, Bourque's regression is another case of terribly bad timing.
While Pacioretty's being held to the burner by everyone, Vanek looks like he's playing pre-season hockey, breezing along while his teammates fly by in both directions. You can forgive all of that knowing what his game is all about, but you can't forgive his lame attempt to gain position in front of Rask on the powerplay. He didn't fight for anything in the first period, inevitably only having one true scoring chance in the game; the only shot he was credited for-- a tip that fluttered into Rask's pads. Is this what the Canadiens might pay maximum value for in the off-season?
5) The negative's been addressed. The Canadiens have largely been defined by the character they possess. It didn't shine through in game five--when the stakes raised significantly and the championship caliber Bruins played well enough to flex their muscles and taunt the Canadiens back to Montreal. It's time to see what they're really made of tonight.