Montreal 3 New Jersey 1 (Prudential Center)
MONTREAL, QC.– Kevin, Feldman and Gene. The three were Elaine’s alternate set of friends in a Seinfeld episode called “The Bizarro Jerry.” The new trio was opposite to Jerry, Kramer and George — they were exceptionally polite, were kind to the homeless, and they read… books.
The show comes to mind tonight because we witnessed how effective the Montreal Canadiens can be when they effectively use their assets — in other words, the Bizarro Jacques world. The Habs played a style quite opposite to the much-ballyhooed Martin defensive system which resulted in a very impressive road win and a crucial two points.
Throughout the season, coach Martin has been justifiably criticized for taking a smallish team built on speed, skill and exposing their weaknesses by forcing them to play a passive game. With an aging and injury defense, the Canadiens have been giving up a disproportionate amount of high-quality scoring chances. Martin’s guardian angel has been Carey Price who has single-handedly done more for his team than any other player in the NHL.
But tonight, that all changed for the Habs. So how did they do it?
Forechecking: It is amazing how the complexion of the game changes when the majority isn’t being played in the Canadiens’ defensive zone. New Jersey only managed three shots in the first period with most of the action being in front of Martin Brodeur.
There has been much talk about the only way to break the perimeter was with size. Montreal showed that getting to the net can also be accomplished by pressuring the Devil’s defense with a strong forecheck.
With Habs’ forwards aggressively entering the offensive zone, New Jersey defenders backed-in opening the slot. It also meant that the offensive talents of the top six forwards were not wasted by shifts devoted to defending their own end — each one, with the exception of Andrei Kostitsyn, tallied at least one point. While not appearing on the score sheet, Kostitsyn’s perfect screen in front of Brodeur is the reason that P.K. Subban’s point shot found the back of the net.
Speed: Opposing coaches often mention the nightmare of containing Montreal’s speed which had been missing in recent games. The tentative play that left the Habs looking slow vanished as players exploited their best asset. The confidence was infectious.
Breakouts were much easier with the Devils having to defend against the quick Canadiens forwards.
Discipline: New Jersey had one power-play opportunity during the entire game. This is a major turnaround for the Canadiens who have been near the top of list for the most minor penalties all season. Tomas Plekanec looked mushc fresher without a heavy penalty-killing load.
Bench management: The hair-triggered leashes of players like Lars Eller were removed. Eller played 11:29 and proved his value as a third line or fourth line center. He created turnovers, used his size, and effectively moved the puck in traffic.
Rolling all four lines minimized the fatigue factor.
Goaltending: The Bizarro Jacques system still needed helped from an old friend. Although only facing 21 shots, Price made some huge saves at key times to support the solid effort of his teammates. The Canadiens did not require an other-worldly performance from their goaltender.
Brent Sopel described it like this from his Twitter account, “Great night. Pricey make huge save on the penalty shot and got the boys rolling for a huge 2 points. Great job by everyone.”
Price was also instrumental in making outlet passes that led to Canadiens goals. Unfortunately Price was denied a shutout from one of the few coaching mistakes — David Desharnais’ line was no match for the likes of Patrik Elias, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Danius Zubrus.
It’s tough for an old dog to learn tricks, especially stubborn ones. For short spurts or even single periods we have witnessed how effective the Canadiens can be when they break away from the rigid mould. It was a rare occasion tonight when they were able to sustain for the majority of the game, a system that causes their coach some discomfort but that fits their personnel like a glove.
Let’s hope for a reappearance of the same approach again on Tuesday night as the Canadiens host the Chicago Black Hawks at the Bell Centre.
All Habs game stars
1. Brian Gionta
2. Mathieu Darche
3. Carey Price
Roster notes
Yannick Weber and Alexandre Picard were healthy scratches. Jeff Halpern, Max Pacioretty and Jaroslav Spacek were out with injuries. Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges are out for the season with a knee injuries.
(photo by Getty)