GOAL SCORERS
MTL: L. Eller (SHG, 05:08 - 1st) , T. Plekanec (12:39 - 1st) , M. Cammalleri (15:25 - 1st) , L. Leblanc (02:03 - 2nd) , P. Subban (05:53 - 2nd) , E. Cole (PPG, 14:58 - 3rd)
OTT: Z. Smith (01:42 - 1st) , J. Spezza (06:49 - 2nd)
Going into tonights game, the Canadiens had lost 5 straight games (4 under New Interim Coach Randy Cunneyworth) and they were looking for a way to get out of this drought and into a winning streak. Just 2 minutes in, Gonchars shot was stopped but Smith was there to put home the rebound to make it 1-0 Ottawa. 3 minutes later with the Habs shorthanded, Eller brought the puck into the Senators zone and fired a shot past Anderson to tie the game at 1-1. 7 minutes after that, Diaz's point shot was tipped in by Plekanec to give the Habs a 2-1 lead. Shortly after that, LeBlancs shot was stopped, but Cammalleri was there to put home the rebound to extend the Habs lead. The Habs scored 3 goals on only 5 shots in the first to give them a 3-1 lead.
2 minutes into the second, LeBlanc came up the right side and fired a shot past Anderson to make it 4-1 Habs. That was it for Anderson as he gave up 4 goals on 7 shots. So in comes former Habs goaltender Alex Auld. A few minutes after the goalie change, Cole brought the puck in on the left side and dropped the puck back to Subban and he ripped a shot into the net to make it 5-1. Spezza would score 53 seconds later to make it 5-2. That was the score going into the third. With under 5 minutes to play in the third, the Habs were on a 5 on 3 powerplay. Subban had the puck at the point and played it down low for Plekanec and then to Cole in front and he scored. Tick, Tac, Toe, goal to give the Habs a 6-2 lead and that was the final as the Habs get Randy Cunneyworth his first win as an NHL head coach.
"I would have taken it a couple of games earlier but obviously a win's a win, and it's the start of hopefully many more," said Cunneyworth, who earlier this season was an assistant coach before head coach Jacques Martin was fired on Dec. 17. In Cunneyworth first 4 games going into this big win, I saw that the Habs began to use their speed. But in those 4 losses it wasn't effective. But Cunneyworth continued to make the Habs practice using their speed at their practices and tonight it worked. It was typical Montreal hockey. Which is when the speedy wingers will take the puck up the the wing and either fire a shot on goal or centre the puck to the centerman, who would essentially get a goal or get a good enough shot to get a big rebound.
Another thing that I've noticed was that when the Habs were on a powerplay, they would move the puck a lot faster than usual and they also got a lot more shots on goal which lead to a powerplay goal tonight."I would hope that we can play a little more uninhibited now, have a little more assertiveness in our game," Cammalleri said. "It's one game, though. Let's not pretend that this is a 10-game winning streak already."
Written By Andrew Di Pardo
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