Photo by Francois Lacasse / NHLI via Getty Images
Habs Beat The Bruins, 3-2
The Habs beat the Bruins Tuesday night, 3-2, in an exciting game in which either team could have won – based on the scoreboard alone. The story on the ice was a different picture. Once again, the Habs were badly outshot (43-23), but managed to hold on for the win.
The rivalry is alive and well, and as always, fun to watch these two teams tangle. In fact, this is the 2nd meeting of these teams so far, and the Habs have won both. They even added a win in pre-season, to establish the tone.
Surprisingly few penalties in this game; each team took 2, and each team scored once on the man-advantage.
Here’s how it played out:
First Period: Shots 14-5 Boston
No goals this period, one power play for the Bruins, but even when there are no significant events, it’s always exciting hockey.
Boston’s goaltender, another #31, Zach McIntyre, made some big saves, but was very Tuukka Rask-like in his dives to save the puck. Still, he did a good job, though Montreal only got 5 shots this period.
Second Period: 14-7 Boston
Goals:
Shea Weber (PPG; Andrei Markov, Tomas Plekanec), 3:58; Alex Galchenyuk (Alexander Radulov, Paul Byron), 5:08
Colin Miller (Unassisted), 4:48
It was a busy period, in the first 5 minutes, as 3 goals were scored in quick succession.
The first came on the power play for Montreal, when Shea Weber, in a great passing game between him, Andrei Markov, and Tomas Plekanec, took his signature shot from inside the blue line, and found the back of the net.
It was only 50 seconds later when Colin Miller‘s first shot on Carey Price ricocheted off the boards and went into the net. One of those flukey freak goals that came out of nowhere.
But Alex Galchenyuk got the Canadiens their lead back at 5:08 (literally 20 seconds after Miller’s goal) when Paul Byron passed the puck out of the Habs’ zone to Alexander Radulov. Radulov passed it across to where Galchenyuk was coming in, but Dominic Moore got his stick on it first. He tried to pass it out as his skate seemed to catch an edge, but Galchenyuk’s stick was there, and with a quick shot, the goal was scored on McIntyre.
Third Period: Shots 15-11 Boston
Goals:
David Pasternak (PPG; John Michael Liles, Brad Marchand), 6:38
Paul Byron (Alex Galchenyuk, Alexander Radulov), 18:58
The third period progressed with the Habs hanging onto their lead until they took a penalty at 4:39. With one second left to go, the Bruins scored and tied the game.
A very energetic third, as both teams looked for the go-ahead. Both McIntyre and Price came through for their teams, but with 1:02 remaining in the period, Paul Byron scored the go-ahead (and game winner).
Fighting to hold onto possession, he, Alexander Radulov, and Alex Galchenyuk got to the net, defended by an effective Bruins corps. While Galchenyuk fought to get his stick on the puck, he managed to tap it back, where Byron grabbed it and shot it into the net.
This was a huge goal for the team, and though Boston pulled their goalie after that, the Habs held on for the win.
Some Thoughts:
Once again, I will stress the concern of being outshot so drastically. In the last 3 wins, they’ve been outshot 42-22, 38-17, 43-23. This is worrisome because they cannot continue to be outshot and expect to win.
This is symptomatic of last year’s problem as well; can this year’s Canadiens expect to be outshot by double and still win? We all know the answer to that.
Upcoming games are against tough teams too: the L.A. Kings, Detroit Red Wings, and Chicago Blackhawks. It will only get harder, and I don’t know about you, but it’s less enjoyable (again) when the Habs are trading goals with the dominant team, and squeaking out the win.
At least discipline was not a factor. With only 2 penalties taken, they gave up one power-play goal, and even scored on one of their power plays.
It’s natural to go there when the team is fragile. A 3-2 win isn’t a bad win, but for a team that started off this season scoring at least 3 goals every single game, it’s disappointing to see the goals trickle off.
They are finding ways to score, however, and that is something we’re all hoping they continue to achieve.
Alex Galchenyuk has had a banner season so far. 13 games, 13 points (including 5 goals – tied, incidentally, with Torrey Mitchell). I believe this is his season to shine brighter than ever.
Alexander Radulov continues to delight. Not only his talent (he’s up to 3 goals and 8 assists; 11 points in 13 games is an impressive stat), but his attitude. I’ve talked about his hard-working integrity, his work ethic, and his give-it-all execution.
But he’s so much more; his teammates clearly love him, and his celebration of every goal – whether or not he had a hand in its being scored – is a beautiful quality to exhibit. He’s fast become one of my favorite players on this team.
The next game is Thursday night, when the L.A. Kings visit the Bell Centre. Puck drop is 7:30 p.m.
Tags: Alex Galchenyuk, Alexander Radulov, Boston Bruins, Habs, Montreal Canadiens
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