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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Nov 15, 2014 13:18:43 GMT -5
FLYERS (7-5-2) @ CANADIENS (12-4-1) 19h00 au Centre Bell TV: NHLN-US, TVA, SN Radio: TSN 960 Montreal Lineups to follow ... I've run out of time ... Canadiens vs Flyers: Start time, TV schedule and game preview
By Ian Murray @iancmy1 on Nov 15 2014, Can the Habs' hottest player slow down the Flyers?
Can the Habs follow up on their best game of the season by defeating another vulnerable opponent?
The Canadiens finally did exactly what they were supposed to do.
Let's be clear: the Boston Bruins short two of their three best players are not the team we've come to know and, well, strongly dislike. That said, the Bruins are a division rival, and every team goes through lulls in their season, injury-related or otherwise. The Habs are going to find themselves in a similar situation at some point, making the two points earned on Thursday all the more valuable.
The team the Habs will face tonight is not the Boston Bruins. There isn't a rivalry at the same magnitude, frustrating as games against Philly tend to be. There's a fair chance the Flyers will not factor into the Eastern playoff picture this year. As NHL regular season games go, the stakes are relatively low.
Nevertheless, this is another team that the Habs are capable of beating, and to do so would be to take care of business for the second game in a row. For a Canadiens team that has struggled with consistency, that would be a step in the right direction. And, who knows - those two points might come in handy by April. How to Watch
Start time: 7:00PM EST In Canada (French): TVA In Canada (English): Sportsnet In Philadelphia: CSN-PH In the USA: NHLN-US Elsewhere: NHL Gamecenter Live or NHL Center Ice
Tale of the Tape
Know Your Enemy
The Flyers are an unbalanced team.
Neither of their goalie duo of Steve Mason and Ray Emery has been inspirational, which each putting up more or less average numbers to start the year. Where Philly has compensated is in the offensive zone, where they've buried an impressive 3.2 goals per game, putting them behind only the Penguins and Lightning league-wide.
That offence is predicated almost entirely on the abilities of their star players, as Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux have each burst out to torrid starts. Each player is in the top 10 in NHL scoring so far, and Voracek's 24 points in 17 games put him only one point back of Sidney Crosby for the league lead. Between those two men and the third member of their line, Wayne Simmonds, the Flyers have truly put all of their offensive eggs into one basket. The balance of this game will likely hang on the Habs', and specifically P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov's, ability to stymie this formidable group.
With less than reliable goaltenders, and D-men not always making their job easy, a disproportionate amount of defensive responsibility also falls to the Flyers forward corps. With the high-calibre first line taking the most offensive zone starts, Sean Couturier and Matt Read see the opposite assignment, taking tough competition and starting in the Flyers end. While this arrangement covers off the two most immediate tactical priorities, it leaves Vincent Lecavalier in a compromising position. The Flyers make every effort not to use their bottom six, and the former Lightning captain is the only truly effective player skating on Philadelphia's bottom two lines. Considering the recent productivity of the Habs third line, and the versatility of their fourth line, the Habs may have a true advantage in exploiting Philly's depth forwards.
Last Time Out
When they last met, the Canadiens dispatched the Flyers with an effort not unlike the one they put in against Boston last night. The Flyers earned an early lead, and despite some Montreal pressure, built themselves up to an intimidating 3-0 lead. Then, the dam broke, as the Habs poured on three goals in the span 7:35 to tie the game. Ray Emery foiled Alex Galchenyuk on an overtime breakaway, but P.A. Parenteau sealed the deal with the shootout winner.
If all goes to plan, the Habs shouldn't need that extra session to get the win tonight. The Flyers may have a first line with superpowers, but the Canadiens have two of the league's best defencemen, and enough depth to play them on the same pair. If Subban and Markov can get the job done tonight, look for the Habs to come away with the win.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Nov 15, 2014 16:18:46 GMT -5
Here are the projected lineups:
FLYERS
Wayne Simmonds - Claude Giroux - Jakub Voracek
R.J. Umberger - Vincent Lecavalier - Jason Akeson
Brayden Schenn - Sean Couturier - Matt Read
Zac Rinaldo - Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - Chris VandeVelde
Nicklas Grossmann - Mark Streit
Michael Del Zotto - Nick Schultz
Braydon Coburn - Carlo Colaiacovo
Ray Emery
Steve Mason
Scratched: Blair Jones
Injured: Kimmo Timonen (blood clots), Andrew MacDonald (lower body), Michael Raffl (lower body), Luke Schenn (upper body)
CANADIENS
Max Pacioretty – David Desharnais – Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau
Alex Galchenyuk – Tomas Plekanec – Brendan Gallagher
Brandon Prust – Lars Eller – Jiri Sekac
Nathan Beaulieu – Manny Malhotra – Dale Weise
Andrei Markov – P.K. Subban
Alexei Emelin – Mike Weaver
Sergei Gonchar – Tom Gilbert
Carey Price
Dustin Tokarski
Scratched: Drayson Bowman
Injured: Michael Bournival (shoulder)
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Post by HFTO on Nov 15, 2014 17:02:11 GMT -5
Flyers played last night is tonight the Habs breakout first period?
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Post by Skilly on Nov 15, 2014 19:25:54 GMT -5
I don't know about having Beaulieu as a forward .... We don't have another fourth line option anywhere in the system?
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Post by Skilly on Nov 15, 2014 19:26:15 GMT -5
Pappy makes it 1-0 on the PP
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Post by HFTO on Nov 15, 2014 19:26:56 GMT -5
nice
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Post by Skilly on Nov 15, 2014 19:27:17 GMT -5
Parenteau (Pacioretty, Markov)
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Post by CentreHice on Nov 15, 2014 19:27:39 GMT -5
I was just about to complain that, even with a TV timeout to rest all players, MT still started the DD line on the PP. And we're gong back to the PP.
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Post by CentreHice on Nov 15, 2014 19:29:38 GMT -5
And he starts the DD line again.
And they score again.
2-0. DD with a gimme.
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Post by HFTO on Nov 15, 2014 19:29:54 GMT -5
sweet
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Post by Skilly on Nov 15, 2014 19:30:19 GMT -5
Desharnais (Pacioretty, Markov) another PP goal
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Post by Skilly on Nov 15, 2014 19:31:16 GMT -5
Both PP goal had nice plays by Gonchar to move the puck along the point
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Post by CentreHice on Nov 15, 2014 19:32:19 GMT -5
Both PP goal had nice plays by Gonchar to move the puck along the point Definitely
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Post by Skilly on Nov 15, 2014 19:33:31 GMT -5
The first PP assist was Markov's 350th career assist. The second PP assist was Markov's 450th career point
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Post by Skilly on Nov 15, 2014 19:38:41 GMT -5
Markov with 450 career points ties Plekanec for 27th on the all-time Habs scoring list.
Markov also passes Doug Harvey (447) on the all time Defense scoring list
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Post by CentreHice on Nov 15, 2014 19:39:16 GMT -5
The first PP assist was Markov's 350th career assist. The second PP assist was Markov's 450th career point Neat stats. So, doing the math, Markov has 100 goals. Thought he would've had more than that. Pacioretty sitting at 99 career goals.
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Post by CentreHice on Nov 15, 2014 19:40:15 GMT -5
Refs just looking to call something on us.
What a bogs roughing penalty that was.
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Post by Skilly on Nov 15, 2014 19:40:49 GMT -5
No ... Markov has 99 goals
99 goals 351 assists
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Post by Skilly on Nov 15, 2014 19:44:54 GMT -5
The first PP assist was Markov's 350th career assist. The second PP assist was Markov's 450th career point Neat stats. So, doing the math, Markov has 100 goals. Thought he would've had more than that. Pacioretty sitting at 99 career goals. Pacioretty has 115 career goals (49th on all time goal list) As an aside , three players currently have 99 career goals as a Hab ( Markov, Andrei Kostitsyn and Ray Getliffe)
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Post by CentreHice on Nov 15, 2014 19:50:36 GMT -5
Thanks Skilly...I was just saying what they said on the broadcast tonight...i.e. that Max was sitting at 99 goals.
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Post by CentreHice on Nov 15, 2014 19:51:34 GMT -5
Galchenyuk tripped up getting ready to shoot.
No call.
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Post by seventeen on Nov 15, 2014 20:07:51 GMT -5
Good pace to the game. Flyers really are beaten up on defence. But you can't let them have that as an excuse. When you're playing them, take advantage of their lack of talent/experience and put a beat down on them. We've been forechecking well and causing turnovers in their end. The whole team is looking more offensive. I noticed that on the PP, they're using some more down low play rather than just the points. PA's goal was exactly that. Set up Patches in the slot for a high percentage shot, and put in the rebound. It looks to me like less a Gonchar addition than a PK subtraction and the other players having to work harder to create their own space. Get into those dirty areas and the goals will come.
Galchenyuk is going to start getting multiple point games any time now. He is so dangerous. Gallagher has to learn to give him the puck on the transition, though. We got caught offside a couple of times when Galchy was steamrolling in and Gallagher held onto the puck to carry it in himself. Give Alex the puck and head for space, Brendan. You'll score a lot of goals that way.
And yes, wasn't that a weird call on Gallagher? He does nothing. Grossman holds both Gallagher and Pleks, Pleks gives him a deserved butt end in the head for doing so and Gallagher gets a penalty. If I'm the ref, I do nothing. Grossman gets away with a hold, Pleks with a butt end or backhand to Grossman's face. Even up.
Good game so far. Let's get a couple more.
Good to see Beaulieu still getting time on the back line. He keeps improving.
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Post by CentreHice on Nov 15, 2014 20:19:26 GMT -5
Don't like the way this period is going.
Our puck pressure is non-existent.
But now we have a PP to turn the momentum.
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Post by HFTO on Nov 15, 2014 20:22:36 GMT -5
awesome pass by 27 better bury by 76
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Nov 15, 2014 20:22:59 GMT -5
Subban scores the third PP goal of the night ... great setup by Galchenyuk ... now's the time to put the pedal to the metal ...
Cheers.
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Post by CentreHice on Nov 15, 2014 20:23:09 GMT -5
That's going in the highlight thread.
Pleks to Galchy to Subban.
3-0.
Another PP goal.
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Post by Disp on Nov 15, 2014 20:23:44 GMT -5
Just great passing there.
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Post by CentreHice on Nov 15, 2014 20:25:03 GMT -5
That was a "video game" execution.
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Post by HFTO on Nov 15, 2014 20:35:34 GMT -5
Got to luv Prust... Rinaldo pretty tough young kid Prust had some great upper cuts ...banged elbow pretty goo in fall hope still good to go
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Post by HFTO on Nov 15, 2014 20:39:15 GMT -5
Bad few shifts Habs have done good job holding leads hope they crank it back up
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