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Follow Me on TwitterMitch Melnick is the host of Melnick in the Afternoon on the Team 990 - Montreal's Sports Authority. Mitch also has his own website at MitchMelnick.com where you can find his blog, music links, upcoming events, neat photos and more. Listen Live to Melnick - weekdays from 3:00 - 7:00 pm. If you have questions or wish to contact Mitch, you can email him at mitch.melnick@team990.com
The Good, Bad and Ugly - The plan is not to sit back
Mitch Melnick
TSN 990 and MitchMelnick.com

Mitch Melnick Blog
The Good, Bad and Ugly - The plan is not to sit back
Mitch Melnick of TSN 990 breaks down the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Monday night's game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres. "We sat back far too much. It's better to push pucks forward; not sit back" - Eric Cole
PHOTO CREDIT - Canadiens.com

Montreal - Nov. 14, 2011 - "We have to be a team that's always bringing pressure" - Max Pacioretty

"We sat back far too much. It's better to push pucks forward; not sit back" - Eric Cole

"The plan is not to sit back" - Jacques Martin

"Usually when a team (Buffalo) presses you're going to get some scoring opportunities but it didn't happen" - Jacques Martin

"What we've got here is a failure to communicate" - Captain (Strother Martin) in "Cool Hand Luke"

THE GOOD

  • The Line of David Desharnais -Eric Cole - Max Pacioretty. Sabres didn't seem to have an answer for them as they totalled 11 shots and five points. And Desharnais again did a good job in the face off circle (61%).

  • Carey Price for 65 minutes.

  • The Habs PK unit blanking a strong Buffalo power play.

  • Inexperienced NHL defensemen Yannick Weber, Raphael Diaz & Alexei Yemelin gaining a lot of experience while logging a lot more ice time than anticipated. Already without an ailing Hal Gill, the Habs defense lost vet Jaro Spacek in the second period. Emelin (16:31) delivered five hits while Diaz (18:31) was fairly steady and Weber (25:35) made a terrific play to keep the puck in the Buffalo end which eventually led to Cole's power play goal.

  • Eric Cole's power play goal. To save you some research, it's his second power play goal of the season. Or if you prefer - 50% of his goals this season have been scored on the PP - kind of like his ratio from the 2007-08 season.

  • Josh Gorges. It's fun to watch him compete, isn't it?

  • Even though they sat back on home ice, the Habs still managed a point minus Mike Cammalleri, Hal Gill, Andrei Kostitsyn and then Jaroslav Spacek and a short bench in the third period.

    THE BAD

  • Brian Gionta. Coming off his best game of the season the captain did not get a single shot on goal.

  • Eric Cole's penalty in overtime. What in the world was he thinking skating inside the blue paint of Jonas Enroth's goal crease, especially after everything's that's been said since Lucic - Miller Saturday night?

  • Carey Price in the shoot out. Now 0 - 4 this season. Looks like word is out that he can be beaten with shots to the short side.

  • Carey Price swinging his stick in disgust into the boards on his way off the ice after losing in the shoot out. Actually, move this to THE GOOD category. He cares.

  • The chintzy penalty call on Josh Gorges by Tim Peel (who else - Chris Lee?) resulting in a 4 on 3 power play for Buffalo.

  • The Habs power play. Yes they scored (1 - 6) but also had a chance to bury Buffalo with it and failed. Up 2 - 1 in the 3rd, Luke Adam slashed the stick out of Eric Cole's hands about midway through the period. The Canadiens did not get a single shot on goal. A little over a minute later, Derek Roy scored to tie the game. And with even more ice to work with in overtime, after killing off the Cole penalty, the Habs weren't much more dangerous.

    THE UGLY

  • PK Subban's give away leading to Roy's game tying goal in the 3rd. PK tried to be too cute and dumped the puck blindly into the middle of the ice where it was snapped up by the talented Thomas Vanek.

  • Mathieu Darche (3:19) is still on the power play. Stop this insanity. Now. If Jacques Martin is looking for body presence on the PP why not reward Travis Moen with the time he's giving Darche? Or Lars Eller? The longer he stubbornly clings to this concept the more he loses credibility with the people who matter the most - the veterans on his own team. If any of them, at this stage, are still listening.


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