Rivalry Renewed: B’s Fall To Habs 2-1
Friday, October 28, 2011
It mattered little Thursday night the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens were tied for last place in the NHL’s Northeast Division. Nobody cared that both teams were just a single point away from being in the basement of the Eastern Conference with the Winnipeg Jets. This was Bruins-Canadiens. Enough said!
Both teams entered the game struggling on offense although Montreal did manage to put the puck in the net 5 times the night before in a win over Philadelphia. The difference between the two teams was between the pipes where Tim Thomas has been playing his usual solid game in net. Carey Price, however, had not had the greatest start to the season.
That changed Thursday at the TD Garden. Thomas and Price were both on top of their games. And, although it wasn’t the greatest display of hockey otherwise, the intensity level rivaled that of a playoff game. Nowhere more was that displayed than in the second period when Boston’s Brad Marchand and Montreal’s P.K. Subban made two attempts at squaring off before successfully dropping the mittens and mixing it up on their third attempt.
Boston’s most-hated opponent, Subban delivered a solid open-ice hit to Marchand as he gave up the puck. That hit set the stage for what was about to come.
At the 13:37 mark of the second period, the two squared off briefly for what was essentially a glorified hug-fest. They were sent to the penalty box each receiving 2 minutes for holding.
Two minutes later, as soon as they came out of the box, they tried to square off again but the linesmen wouldn’t allow them to get it going. It was back to the penalty box for the two of them again. This time they received 2 minute penalties for delay of game.
But, as the old saying goes, the third time’s the charm! Fresh out of the box again, they shed their gloves, followed by their helmets and then their elbow pads. And this time the refs decided to let them mix it up.
Subban seemed to want land nothing but haymakers swinging wildly and missing on virtually all of them. Marchand seemed to be strategically holding him off and ducking the punches while attempting to get in a few quick jabs himself. This time it was five for fighting for both.
As for the game itself, Boston grabbed a 1-0 first period lead on a goal by Patrice Bergeron (2nd) off the draw. Truth be told, Montreal center Tomas Plekanec won the draw so cleanly in his own zone that he put it in on his own goaltender who was caught sleeping. It went off of Price’s skate to put Boston on top. The B’s did control the opening period outshooting Montreal 10-6.
If Boston won period #1, Montreal won period #2. The Habs peppered Tim Thomas with 18 shots to Boston’s 9 in the second 20 minutes. Erik Cole (2nd) beat Thomas with a nice deflection that the B’s netminder had little chance to stop squaring the game at 1.
In the third, Shawn Thornton put a couple of good hits on Subban that energized both the crowd and his teammates. Unfortunately, the B's couldn't ride that wave of emotion to victory.
A careless turnover by Boston in the neutral zone led to a wrister by Tomas Plekanec (3rd) who beat Thomas 5-hole midway through the third for what turned out the be the game-winner.
The B's had a few chances to beat Price in the third with two of the best opportunities coming late in the period when Nathan Horton couldn't put it past Price.
The shots were even at 11 a piece in the third. Boston outshot Montreal 35-30 for the game. But it was Montreal that seemed the be the aggressor in the game's final two periods and, even though they had played the night before, it was Boston that appeared to be the tired team down the stretch.
Boston's loss dropped the defending Stanley Cup Champs into sole possession of last place in the Northeast Division.
These two teams will meet again Saturday night in Montreal.
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