GOAL SCORERS
MTL: P. Subban (02:52 - 2nd) , A. Galchenyuk (03:54 - 2nd)
OTT: M. Zibanejad (11:55 - 3rd) , C. Conacher (19:37 - 3rd) , K. Turris (02:32 - OT)
Earlier tonight in Ottawa, the Canadiens came out ready to play against the Senators and were looking to tie the series. But things don't always go according to plan. No score in the first and the shots were 9-9. 2:52 into the second the Habs came in on a 3 on 1 and Ryder played the puck to Plekanec and over to Subban and he scored high blocker on Anderson to make it 1-0. 58 seconds later, Galchenyuk came up the right wing and fired a shot over the glove of Anderson to make it 2-0 after 2. The shots in the second were 14-10 Montreal.
To start the third, Montreal switched from playing aggressive to playing conservative, it would prove to be costly. 12 minutes into the third, Neil centred the puck to Zibanejad and he deflected the puck past Price with his skate to cut the lead to 1. The goal was reviewed and was determined that it wasn't kicked in. I disagree with the call as it looked to me that the Senators forward turned his left skate and deflected it in. That call gave Ottawa momentum. With over a minute to play, Montreal cleared the puck down the ice and Karelsson stopped skating and let the puck roll behind the Sens net for a icing call.
Montreal already used there time out. So the tired players stayed on the ice and cleared the puck and Karelsson slowed down again and forced an icing call. Off the faceoff, Turris centred the puck to Conacher and he scored to tie the game. The game was tied at 2-2 and the shots in the third were 14-4 Ottawa. So we needed overtime. To start overtime, Montreal would be missing goalie, Carey Price with an lower-body injury and Brandon Prust with a shoulder injury. So Budaj was in goal for the Habs. 2 minutes in, Turris fired a shot from the left wing and it deflected off of Diaz and in to win the game and give Ottawa a 3-1 series lead.In the loss, Price made 30 saves on 32 shots and Budaj made 1 save on 2 shots.
In the win, Anderson made 26 saves. This was a game where the refs spoiled it and everyone in Montreal and Ottawa knows it. The refs called 3 questionable icing calls in the final moments of the third along with that kicked in goal by Zibanejad. Horrible officiating leads to the loss."We came to play and that's exactly what we did," said Canadiens coach Michel Therrien. "We certainly deserved a better fate."It's one of those nights ... tough to explain." Over the past 10 years Montreal has come back down 3-1 two times.
In 2004 they did it against the Bruins, in 2010 against the Capitals and now they have a better team... I have a feeling that Montreal will do it again. They've done before with a worse team and now with their best team in the past 15 years I believe they will do it again.Are we going to say we got a game stolen from us? That doesn't do anything for us, it does us no good," Canadiens defenseman Josh Gorges said. "We're down 3-1 no matter which way we want to explain it, so it doesn't matter."Our backs are now up against the wall and we don't have a choice but to come out swinging." Prust is expected to play in Game 5, but Carey Price is questionable.
Game 5 will be in Montreal on Thursday night.
Written By Andrew Di Pardo
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ReplyDeleteI also think that the second goal that Ottawa scored should not have been allowed. An Ottawa player skated into the crease and literally held on to Price's stick before the goal was scored. In my mind that was either goalie interference or holding -- take your pick.
ReplyDeleteIt must be so demoralizing to lose a game this way, but I continue to have confidence in Montreal.