cripes, TB looks scary.
- BooBoo997

Yeah they do. I'm hoping Wings can get lucky and play Montreal in the first round. I'd rather have to solve Price than stop this TB offense. Also, it's not like Bishop is easy to solve.

The same thing happened to Price in the Rangers series last season.
- SolidGoldBricks

And it shouldn't have happened there either. If they bump Bish again ai say send Paquette to snap Price in half.

Yeah they do. I'm hoping Wings can get lucky and play Montreal in the first round. I'd rather have to solve Price than stop this TB offense. Also, it's not like Bishop is easy to solve.
- SolidGoldBricks

For me it would be a close toss-up. Carey price is GREAT and our Offense is VERY good. It's a kind of like a choice between an unstoppable force or an immovable object. For me I guess, I lean a little towards facing Tampa Bay offense, because we have been known to go dry on occasion.

However, I'm not a fan of starting the playoffs playing Detroit or Montreal.

Honestly, can't say that this looked like a total dominance game. There were times when Tampa had Mtl hemmed in and got a boatload of quick shots one after the other that i think make the shot differential look a little more dramatic then the game showed.

Like somebody else said tampa gave up several quality odd man rushes that could have cost them the game. While Price played great as usual I dont think this game was nearly as one sided as this blog makes it out to be.

Was a good game to watch in spite of the score with some big hits and good plays. Both powerplays looked anemic though.
- DirtyDozen

Honestly, can't say that this looked like a total dominance game. There were times when Tampa had Mtl hemmed in and got a boatload of quick shots one after the other that i think make the shot differential look a little more dramatic then the game showed.

Like somebody else said tampa gave up several quality odd man rushes that could have cost them the game. While Price played great as usual I dont think this game was nearly as one sided as this blog makes it out to be.

Was a good game to watch in spite of the score with some big hits and good plays. Both powerplays looked anemic though.
- DirtyDozen

Look at the possession chart.. It's actually dumb

One thing I didn't like was all the 2-on-1 rushes the canadians got. I'd say the bounty of chances went Montreals way as far as odd man rushes and breakaways. Bishop made a huge save and so did Price. Luckily whomever that one guy was managed to break it up well each time.
- BoltsFan1993

This is Montreal's entire scheme; screw shooting the puck or moving it around for offense; play defense, force turnovers and score on odd man rushes. Since Price is the goalie he is, they can do this - tonight was no anomaly, it wasn't that Price stood on his head inferring he played beyond his usual abilities. Price was simply Price, if he stood on his head than this game would have gone to a shootout and he would have shutout players there too.

I hate Montreal's team defense mentality because it makes them look weak, but it doesn't change the fact that they still sit in first place with a game in hand because defense is sustainable and goals can go away.

Solid win, epic game, definitely had playoff intensity. We really need to get our powerplay going though.

Price is a stud. Without him, the Habs are only average.
- GalacticStone

You are so wrong....without him they are a really bad team.

Look at the possession chart.. It's actually dumb
- RileyB77

That's what I think of Corsi

You are so wrong....without him they are a really bad team.
- willey101

Montreal has a lot of good pieces and some good young talent, Carey Price just makes them that much better!

Montreal has a lot of good pieces and some good young talent, Carey Price just makes them that much better!
- Artyukhin76

You are right, Canadiens do have good pieces and they also have a ton coming. Problem is that their style of play is ridiculous. Some of the decisions by Therrien are just head scratching. Let's play 2 lefty dmen together and 2 righty dmen together.

Let's put a 4th liner on the 1st line, a rookie at center on the 3rd, our centers on the wing. Let's discourage our offensive minded Dmen from pinching and joining the rush.

I know it's hard to argue with the results but remove Carey from this system and they are a lottery team like they were a couple years ago when they drafted Galchenyuk.

One thing I didn't like was all the 2-on-1 rushes the canadians got. I'd say the bounty of chances went Montreals way as far as odd man rushes and breakaways. Bishop made a huge save and so did Price. Luckily whomever that one guy was managed to break it up well each time.

- BoltsFan1993

The 2 on 1 rushes were all they had because the Bolts held possession the whole game, the Habs could not sustain offensive zone time so they decided completely crashed down there D and (using the old boxing expression) go with a punchers chance to win the game with an occasional counter-strike on a turn-over or rebound going to them.

You are right, Canadiens do have good pieces and they also have a ton coming. Problem is that their style of play is ridiculous. Some of the decisions by Therrien are just head scratching. Let's play 2 lefty dmen together and 2 righty dmen together.

Let's put a 4th liner on the 1st line, a rookie at center on the 3rd, our centers on the wing. Let's discourage our offensive minded Dmen from pinching and joining the rush.

I know it's hard to argue with the results but remove Carey from this system and they are a lottery team like they were a couple years ago when they drafted Galchenyuk.
- willey101

I know it will never happen, but could you imagine Carey Price in front of our players and playing our system? That would be obscene!

Honestly, can't say that this looked like a total dominance game. There were times when Tampa had Mtl hemmed in and got a boatload of quick shots one after the other that i think make the shot differential look a little more dramatic then the game showed.

Like somebody else said tampa gave up several quality odd man rushes that could have cost them the game. While Price played great as usual I dont think this game was nearly as one sided as this blog makes it out to be.

Was a good game to watch in spite of the score with some big hits and good plays. Both powerplays looked anemic though.
- DirtyDozen

We're discussing the TB vs MTL game here. Not sure which game you watched last night but I just wanted to clarify for you

I know it will never happen, but could you imagine Carey Price in front of our players and playing our system? That would be obscene!
- Artyukhin76

Arty, we got a kid called ANDREI VASILEVSKIY who people say is the best goalie prospect in the past 25 years. If the kid lives up the hype and can become the next Carey Price oh hell yeah the Bolts will be fun to watch.

I know it will never happen, but could you imagine Carey Price in front of our players and playing our system? That would be obscene!
- Artyukhin76

Canadiens are outplayed on almost every single night and our wins are almost always by 1 goal or at best 1 goal with an empty netter. He is so far and beyond the Har trophy of the season that it is not funny.

Therrien prides himself as a defensive coach but his short comings are masked by the best goalie in the game. But him in St.Louis and nobody would be talking about LA winning 2 cups in 3 years

We're discussing the TB vs MTL game here. Not sure which game you watched last night but I just wanted to clarify for you
- tyler20c

Last night was a typical Habs game. Collapse and let Carey make the first save, clear the puck, chip it off the glass, get 100% of your chances on giveaways, and counter attack. It's a style that is working but man is it ugly.

That's what I think of Corsi
- mlindsay

Cool, I guess you enjoy getting outplayed and losing then, because montreals recipe for 1st in the atlantic does not work against the bolts as shown by a 0-3 record and being outscored 3-12 in 3 games against us

Cool, I guess you enjoy getting outplayed and losing then, because montreals recipe for 1st in the atlantic does not work against the bolts as shown by a 0-3 record and being outscored 3-12 in 3 games against us
- RileyB77

Be careful not to fall off that high horse; there are numerous instances where teams dominate another during the regular season, only to be ousted, sometimes swept, in the playoffs. TB is a better team, they have tons of depth, but the playoffs are a different beast.

Be careful not to fall off that high horse; there are numerous instances where teams dominate another during the regular season, only to be ousted, sometimes swept, in the playoffs. TB is a better team, they have tons of depth, but the playoffs are a different beast.
- nords21

i can't help but think 6 goals in 5 games do not scream playoff success, unless you're opponent have anders lindback in net

Cool, I guess you enjoy getting outplayed and losing then, because montreals recipe for 1st in the atlantic does not work against the bolts as shown by a 0-3 record and being outscored 3-12 in 3 games against us
- RileyB77

So should we start engraving the cup now.. or wait until some meaningful games are played?

Honestly, can't say that this looked like a total dominance game. There were times when Tampa had Mtl hemmed in and got a boatload of quick shots one after the other that i think make the shot differential look a little more dramatic then the game showed.

Like somebody else said tampa gave up several quality odd man rushes that could have cost them the game. While Price played great as usual I dont think this game was nearly as one sided as this blog makes it out to be.

Was a good game to watch in spite of the score with some big hits and good plays. Both powerplays looked anemic though.
- DirtyDozen

Go read Eric Engles blog about the game last night.

Look at the possession chart.. It's actually dumb
- RileyB77

I did - thats why i made a bunch of statements after saying i didnt think it looked like total dominance. I like advanced stats but you have to watch games too as any stat in a complete vacuum is not that useful.

Like i said i think there were several instances where the bolts got 3,4,5 quick shots in a row that werent necessarily good scoring chances but make the difference in play based on coris look much more dramatic.

I watched the game with a bolts fan and he was surprised at the end by the shot differential because it didnt seem to jive completely with what we perceived as a fairly well played game.

Just my opinion.

Go read Eric Engles blog about the game last night.
- Artyukhin76

Jesus - its not like i said the bolts got outplayed. I'm also not saying the stats are wrong. I'm saying from watching the game it didn't look as one sided as the corsi chart makes it look.

I feel like every narrative is now solely based on who had the most shots in a game and that everything else seems to have fallen by the wayside. And this is coming from a fan of fancy stats.

All of this means zero.

The regular season is an extension of the pre-season.

The playoffs are the only games that matter. Get into the playoffs and the season starts.

You can make observations during the regular season, but all of that goes out the window in the playoffs. Every team starts with a clean slate.

Sure, we have dominated Montreal in three games this season - but let's not forget, this team embarassed us in the playoffs last year when the games mattered. Even though we had Swiss Cheese Lindback in net, we still didn't look great in any of those losses - it's not like we lost solely because of Lindback. We hung Lindback out to dry.

In other words, let's not start engaging in oral congress on each other just yet.