[thepuck 2018-10-13 NHL] Pens 3 @ Habs 4 (SO)

Reality is setting in and Julien is already panicking. Recently against LA, Montreal’s strategy was nullified. The run and gun “speed” game doesn’t work on a solid teamwork based strategy like LA. LA’s system makes a team capable of beating even better teams but is a playoff style not always suited for long-term season play. It is a marvellous example of good hockey.

Anyhow, Montreal has tried this mickey mouse strategy before with Therien and it failed. Will it work now?

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For those who do not now, I use the old-school C-LW-RW listing of lines and in brackets is their individual rating for the game.

Danault(7)-Tatar(7)-Gallagher(9)
Domi(6)-Drouin(3)-Lehkonen(6)
Kotkaniemi(2)-Byron(7)-Armia(6)
Plekanec(8)-Hudon(6)-Shaw(6)
Mete(7)-Petry(5)
Reilly(5)-Juulsen(7)
Ouellet(7)-Benn(5)
Niemi(8)
Lindgren(-)

Scratches: Peca, Alzner, Scherbak
IRL: Deslauriers(surgery), De La Rose(cardiac), Weber(surgery), Price(flu)

1st - Habs outplay Pens, down 2-0 anyway.
2nd - more even period, with the Habs taking the lead.
3rd - slower period, Pens tie it up.

OT - 3-3 tie, Montreal gets a 5 on 3 on OT and gives the puck away on every play. Drouin lies on the ice looking around while the Pens get a 2on1 stopped only by a streaking Armia who just gets in and intercepts a pass out of the air.

SO - Byron goes in slow and picks out the open spot. Malkin tries to outwait Niemi to the side and Niemi extends to block. Drouin goes in like a snail watching and waiting, drilling home the second goal. Crosby seems to outwait and outwit Niemi to the opposite side Malkin tried but Niemi extends and raises his glove at the last moment to make the save. Habs win!

Game Notes

When Montreal was down, Gallagher seemed like he was on a mission. HeeEventually scored by working hard (after 4 solid chances). Gallagher changed the whole momentum of the game and kept at it. He is the heart of the team.

Juulsen gets hit from behind by Malkin. No call. Juulsen levels Malkin. Good to see the youngster stand up for himself.

Armia and Byron showed a little chemistry however their centreman, Kotkaniemi looks completely lost and out of his league. At least he didn’t get another hooking penalty, something he’s had trouble learning - hooking the hockey stick is now enforced as a penalty.

Drouin is slow and takes a long time to make a decision. He also turns away from the play and gives up while there’s still time. That said, he can skate well with the puck and avoid being hit but generally accomplishes nothing beneficial. The diving bothers me.

Earlier today I was at the Kings/Sens game and watching Brady Tkachuk (4th overall pick 2018) play and then later on TV watched Jesperi Kotkaniemi (3rd overall pick 2018) and I see a world of difference. Brady is a great player right now. Kotkaniemi may well have potential but he’s not ready yet. Lehkonen looked better when he started in the NHL and he needed two full seasons before he looked like a NHL calibre player in the third. Is this really all about a European adapting to the North American game?

When Julien switched Plekanec to Kotkaniemi’s place on the third line it immediately looked better as all three players gelled really well. While this line looks like the right line, Plekanec makes everyone around him look better. Peca worked well with Hudon and Shaw in previous games so the solution seems obvious.

On defense we seem to lack a stable stoic defenseman like Alzner. Sure, Weber would be awesome however Alzner is reliable and that’s more important than Julien’s preference for rushing once in awhile without any finish.

This was an exciting and very close game. You could tell Pittsburgh was not going to be stunned by an upstart hockey team again but Montreal pulled it out, outshooting the seemingly superior team.

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Pros: Gallagher, Niemi, Plekanec, Tatar
Cons: Drouin, Kotkaniemi, Petry, Reilly

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Tatar got some points and works hard but he still has something to prove. Petry is always hit and miss. He shows solid talent one game and falls apart the next. Inconsistent but the talent is there and he may just have too much put on his shoulders with Weber out. Reilly had a few pivotal giveaways. It happens.

A goal was called back on Montreal. As Shaw went to the net, a Pittsburgh player got his knee behind him and scooped his legs (slewfoot style) of which the outside one caught the back of the goalie’s foot as Mete beat him with a shot. Debatable call but consistent with what they’ve been calling this year, unlike the hooking and slashing or faceoffs which seem to be a mysterious random call.

Drouin, Tatar, Domi and Gallagher got the bulk of the forwards ice-time. Julien was definitely not rollrolling four lines as the range is from 8 minutes to 24 minutes.

On Defense, Reilly and Petry were favoured by Julien.

#GoHabsGo @CanadiensMTL