Lindy Ruff as not happy with his team's effort in the first period. He thought that his team was slow to loose pucks and were too soft on the walls. The Habs won the first period shot count, 18-7.
Slow starts have killed Buffalo this season. Montreal scored the game's first two goals and it put Buffalo in deficit management mode. Lindy implored his team to compete harder. They did. He flogged his plow horses to work harder town battles. They did. He whipped his thoroughbreds to skate faster. They did. Then, with two and a half minutes remaining in the second period and Buffalo on the PP, Thomas Vanek posted up Carey Price in the blue, with his back to the Montreal goalie. Rather than shoot, HDTV willed a puck between his legs too a hard charging Drew stafford for the momentum shifter. Buffalo went into their room trailing only 2-1. In the third period, Lindy activated his D, and his five man units tore ass up and down the ice. Buffalo seized control of the puck and the game at the same time. Jason Pominville scored to square the game at twos.
Buffalo seized the momentum by amping up their legs and by laying the body on the depleted Montreal D, who weree missing four regular D men to injury.
Buffalo lost the first half of this game, however, they won the business end of it to force OT. Enroth made 32 saves iin regulation and another seven in the Shootout. Enroth was OUTSTANDING!
Shootout scorers:
Vannek, Ennis, Gerbe, and Hecht (winner)
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