Theme of the game: the beauty of playing with the lead. Yes, it is bad to lose. It's never a good thing. But when the team plays with the lead as often as it has this year some nights are going to end better than others. Part of it is complacency because of the expected lead against the Islanders and another part of it is the dumb idea of going into all-out defensive mode with so much hockey left to play. I get it for the last few minutes but not what we have seen at times.

Players of the game: David Desharnais, Max Pacioretty. Excellent play from both. They led the charge that got the team to a 3-1 lead. The two have great chemistry dating back to their time in Hamilton. After scoring from far on Cam Ward Pacioretty now has four goals in three games. Their linemate Erik Cole was better than we have seen but still has work to do. On Pacioretty's second goal he did some great secondary work to help set up the play.

Goaltending: Carey Price 21/25 (.840). He wasn't bad but also wasn't at his superman best.

PK Subban had an assist and finished plus-2 but made some pretty boneheaded plays with the puck especially late. It wasn't terrible but he was definitely overhandling the puck trying to do too much.

Brandon Prust is pretty brave/stupid going after 6'8 Joe Finley. Nothing happened during the fight which I believe speaks well for Prust since he didn't get eaten.

I am really liking Francis Bouillon during his second stint with the team. He isn't asked to do much but he does it well and is very reliable.

Even though they scored a goal tonight it is obvious that the power play is not what it was earlier. The main reason: Andrei Markov has slowed down big time following a hot start. It is as simple as that.

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UHL Calgary Flames
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Good piece by Sean Gordon in the Globe and Mail, covers several Habs topics: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...rticle8982874/

I posted this in a separate thread devoted to Markov, I thought the article was dead-on in that regard: http://forums.dobbersports.com/showt...82#post1093882

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"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

Twitter: @ross10019

CBS Sportsline 14 team H2H keeper (21-man roster, 14 keepers), weekly lineup changes
G, A, PPP, SOG, BS, +/-, GAA, W, SV%
Montreal Maulers - 2011/12 and 2012/13 League Champions
C: Zetterberg/Getzlaf/Granlund/Roy/Desharnais
W: Hossa/Gaborik/Moulson/Marleau/Fleischmann/Horton/Brown/Baertschi(IR)
D: Markov/Karlsson(IR)/Letang/Byfuglien/McDonagh/Tyutin/Spurgeon
G: Lundqvist/Hiller/Brodeur

Gallagher back in and with Desharnais/Pacioretty, and they immediately make something happen with a 2 on 1 break, Gallagher with a sweet little feed to Desharnais who almost pots it. Most remarkable part of that play was Desharnais turning on the jets to beat the dman to make it a 2 on 1, he's got underrated speed that little guy.

__________________

"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

Twitter: @ross10019

CBS Sportsline 14 team H2H keeper (21-man roster, 14 keepers), weekly lineup changes
G, A, PPP, SOG, BS, +/-, GAA, W, SV%
Montreal Maulers - 2011/12 and 2012/13 League Champions
C: Zetterberg/Getzlaf/Granlund/Roy/Desharnais
W: Hossa/Gaborik/Moulson/Marleau/Fleischmann/Horton/Brown/Baertschi(IR)
D: Markov/Karlsson(IR)/Letang/Byfuglien/McDonagh/Tyutin/Spurgeon
G: Lundqvist/Hiller/Brodeur

Theme of the game: holding the fort. This was a much better example of how to defend a lead. Rather than go into full trap mode the team increased its forecheck and spent most of the third period in the Rangers’ zone. No goals can happen from that far out (unless Cam Ward is in goal).

Player of the game: Erik Cole. He was on a line with Alex Galchenyuk and Lars Eller. Each had a goal and a helper but Cole did all of the dirty work around the net and along the boards to make the scoring chances possible.

Goaltending: Carey Price 17/17 (1.000). He makes everything look so easy although the Rangers were not exactly a menacing opposition in this one.

For fantasy hockey purposes this team is very unpredictable in its ice time allocation. With the forward depth the coach has options and he has simply been using the hot line and adjusting for game situations (ie Plekanec defending the lead).

Brandon Prust is easily earning his money with great forechecking and two-way play.

That’s it for now, I’m at my parents’ place for the UFC show.

__________________
UHL Calgary Flames
24-team H2H (roto G, A, GWG, SHP, PPP, PIM, +/, SOG, Hits, Blks, FOW, W, SV, SV%, GAA, SO)

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Montreal Canadiens coverage

Twitter:@DH_EricDaoust.

Nice wrap up!

Does MaxPac get suspended today? Too late for me as I put him in my lineup for the week...curious to hera your thoughts though?

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12 -Team Yahoo, Points Pool, Keeper (Since 1995): G(1), A(1), PPG(1), SHG(1) GWG(1), W(2), SHO(3). Protect 13 each season.

C (4): Crosby, Roy, Stepan, O'Reilly
LW (4): Benn, Pacioretty, Umberger, Burrows
RW (4): Perry, Iginla, Atkinson, S. Gagner
F (1): Little
D (4): Boyle, Schultz, Keith, OEL
G (1): Schneider

Bench: (RW) Kassian (LW) Hagelin (D) Karlsson, Wiercioch (G) Hiller

I think he does. He's a repeat offender, hit the guy in the numbers. I think he gets two games.

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12-team Keeper pool, straight points for forwards & dmen. Goalies get: 2 points per win, 3 per shutout, 1 point per assist & 1 point per shootout loss.

Top 8 forwards, 5 dmen and 2 goalies count.

We keep 8 forwards, 5 dmen, 2 goalies & 1 rookie.

Forwards: Malkin, Stamkos, Getzlaf, Hall, Kunitz, St. Louis, Pavelski, Kadri, Purcell, Hartnell, Brunner, Weiss, Bouchard, McDonald
Defence: Letang, Enstrom, Schultz, Markov, Keith
Goalies: Price, Niemi, Brodeur

My personal blog: http://theryancokeexperience.wordpress.com

I hate to say I agree. I'll keep my fingers crossed though. There's not much evidence for why he might escape without a game or two.

__________________
12 -Team Yahoo, Points Pool, Keeper (Since 1995): G(1), A(1), PPG(1), SHG(1) GWG(1), W(2), SHO(3). Protect 13 each season.

C (4): Crosby, Roy, Stepan, O'Reilly
LW (4): Benn, Pacioretty, Umberger, Burrows
RW (4): Perry, Iginla, Atkinson, S. Gagner
F (1): Little
D (4): Boyle, Schultz, Keith, OEL
G (1): Schneider

Bench: (RW) Kassian (LW) Hagelin (D) Karlsson, Wiercioch (G) Hiller

I did not see the play because I was traveling to my parents' place. A 30 minute drive took 40 minutes because of a couple of stupid Sudbury drivers.

__________________
UHL Calgary Flames
24-team H2H (roto G, A, GWG, SHP, PPP, PIM, +/, SOG, Hits, Blks, FOW, W, SV, SV%, GAA, SO)

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Twitter:@DH_EricDaoust.

I've changed my mind. 2 reasons:

1) Phone hearing
2) McDonagh kind of turns into it...he knows MaXPac is coming.....he had hit him earlier

I think he escapes this one.

__________________
12 -Team Yahoo, Points Pool, Keeper (Since 1995): G(1), A(1), PPG(1), SHG(1) GWG(1), W(2), SHO(3). Protect 13 each season.

C (4): Crosby, Roy, Stepan, O'Reilly
LW (4): Benn, Pacioretty, Umberger, Burrows
RW (4): Perry, Iginla, Atkinson, S. Gagner
F (1): Little
D (4): Boyle, Schultz, Keith, OEL
G (1): Schneider

Bench: (RW) Kassian (LW) Hagelin (D) Karlsson, Wiercioch (G) Hiller

Pacioretty's hit was IMO similar to this one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhXbnF9JUB8) which only received a 10K fine.

__________________
UHL Calgary Flames
24-team H2H (roto G, A, GWG, SHP, PPP, PIM, +/, SOG, Hits, Blks, FOW, W, SV, SV%, GAA, SO)

Capped article archive

Montreal Canadiens coverage

Twitter:@DH_EricDaoust.