(Image: AP) Can you do that?
The Montreal Canadiens, who in Round 1 eliminated the Washington Capitols through sheer cussedness, have decided they aren't going to make this easy for the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
Last night was a battle of the defenses and goalies, with playoff (and Stanley Cup-winner) veteran Marc-Andre Fleury and surprise-star Montreal goaltender Jaroslav Halak both performing brilliantly in the net for their teams. Fleury came up aces for the Pens, winning a hard-fought shutout against an extremely determined Montreal squad, 2-0. While it wasn't a shooting game (Fleury stopped just 18 shots, but some of those saves were definitely highlight-reel material), sometimes a great defensive game can be as entertaining as the 50-shot nights.
Both netminders held their opponents scoreless through 2 periods, until Sidney Crosby scrapped with former NY Ranger Scott Gomez near the close of the 2nd. Former Penguin Hal Gill got involved, and the ref sat him down. Pittsburgh would start the 3rd period on a power play.
Gill is possibly the slowest player in the NHL, but he is a tremendously effective shutdown defenseman, and he has shown in the last few games that he knows better than anyone how to hold off Crosby around the net. No superstar during regulation play, Gill is a steady go-to presence on the ice at playoff time. Not to mention, the guy is a monster. Standing 6-7 in his bare feet, Gill has the clear bulk advantage over the relatively small (5-11) Crosby, but what Crosby lacks in size, he more than makes up for with agility, speed, and skill.
During these playoffs, we haven't seen much of last year's Conn Smythe winner, Evgeni Malkin. Sometimes it seems to me that Malkin's like that kid in the Little League who's out in center field, woolgathering and blowing dandelion puffs into the wind. Sometimes he just doesn't seem all that engaged, either in the game or with his linemates, seemingly drifting in circles in the neutral zone. Then all of a sudden, a puck will skitter in his direction and you'll realize that Malkin's been there all along, biding his time. He'll seize the puck and galoomph down the ice with it, with his frankly ugly skating style (Malkin's all elbows and assholes when he's going end to end, I swear he looks like he's doing the Charleston) that makes you overlook the things that he's doing with his stick to control the puck. Seventy-six seconds into the 3rd period, off a pass from his compatriot Sergei Gonchar, Malkin sneaked a one-timer past a screening Crosby at Halak's net, scoring the first, and winning, goal of the game.
"First two power plays, we played not very good," Malkin said. "After second period, we talked a lot and we just moved the puck. Quick move of puck opened net and just shoot. Not too hard. Just move puck." His English exhausted, Malkin then resumed pointing and grunting.
The rest of the period was merely a waiting game. The Penguins just had to hold off the Habs for the rest of regulation, which they did, playing blue-collar defense to win the shutout for Fleury. There were a few confusing moments at the end of the period, as Jacques Martin couldn't seem to decide whether to pull Halak to put the sixth man on, or keep him in net. We saw a lot of Halak gliding back and forth between the Habs' bench and the goal crease, until he was pulled for good. Pittsburgh took the opportunity to steal the puck one last time, and Pascal Dupuis tapped in an empty-netter to close out the game.
If the rest of the series continues as it's started, with the team's marquee players being ground down by the opposition's defense, Round 3 will seem like a cakewalk to whichever team wins.
Still keeping an eye on PK Subban. Kid's really good.
Pens 2-Montreal 0
Pens lead the series 2-1.
Next game: Thursday at Montreal, 7pm on Versus
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