Interesting fact: Nashville won this game but Price still stopped over 50 shots on goal, a career record. He deserves some credit for saving a game that was mostly played in his zone.
It maybe wasn't quite as eventful as tonight's game in Toronto, of which I only watched the first period and I can definitely say that it's so much more fun watching the Flames win when a) it's not against Montreal and b) when they're embarrassing the Leafs. Within the first five minutes I'd seen two goals, two fights, and five guys hitting the penalty box. I kind of like Calgary again.
I'd also like to point out that the Air Canada Centre is definitely not cool enough to be blasting "Fight For Your Right" during a video montage, and that the lack of Beastie Boys during Habs games needs to be rectified. Can someone get on that? (And while we're on the subject, get well soon, MCA! From what I know, his radiation treatments should be over so I'm hoping all is well.)
As for Habs-Predators:
- Bouillon appeared pretty at ease with his new team but still gracious toward his old one. I thought seeing him play again might make me miss him, because he played big despite his small frame, and I kind of do miss him.
- The Latendresse flip-flop. He got benched, which was a shocker but a good decision on Martin's part, then was told to lace up his skates because an injury to Brian Gionta took him out of the lineup. Seriously? A lower-body injury? Didn't he just get over some flu-like symptoms? Someone needs to be taking better care of our Gionta. According to the graphics department at RDS, Nashville has two Jason Arnotts. How? Is Montreal eligible for this apparent athlete cloning? Can we get a backup Gionta? How about a second Markov - to sub in for the one who's injured right now, and then to stay on for penalty kills when Original Markov comes back?
- Okay, now on to Gui for real: giving him Chipchura and White as linemates seemed like a pretty great decision. It's a physically threatening line (surprise: Latendresse is a big guy) boosted by the speed and agility that Ryan White brings to the table. Plus all three of them kind of had something to prove tonight, with White still a little green, Chipchura back in the lineup, and Gui almost not part of it, so it was an excellent showcase for three young players to show us what they've got. We maybe didn't see them play their best tonight but there was some visible effort, especially by White and Chipchura.
- And yes, the recently re-elected man of the hour, Carey Price, played a great game. I'm not saying it started with his decision to dust off a country-western helmet for this game (when in Rome, you know... I'd probably have done the same thing) but you never know. He played fearlessly, he was impressive but not too flashy, and he only got more focused after the first goal went in. It would have been nice if some of our shots on goal had actually made their way into the net, but them's the breaks I guess.
Personally, I'm going to enjoy the next day of knowing that our loss can't be blamed on a single player, goaltender or otherwise, and of listening to the sound of people deciding which bandwagon they're on at the moment while I keep my feet on solid ground.
....good GOD you're too nice. I'm basically on strike from posting until past Tuesday. I didn't think anything would make me madder than how we played against Calgary but apparently I was wrong.
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