The Canadiens came out scared; scared to take a hit, scared to miss a pass, scared to lose. As a result they were tight as a rusty engine bolt on a 76 Chevy, and couldn't do anything right. This wasn't the team that earned their place in the Eastern Finals, this was the team that scraped their way into the playoffs ... with a stick up their arse.
Leighton was never challenged. Everything was kept to the outside. Always second to the puck, or no puck support on the turnovers. And stupid retaliation penalties. A very frustrating game to watch, and no doubt play.
Philadelphia sat back, caused quick turnovers in their zone, and punished when they got their chances - just like Montreal did in the first 2 rounds. Except Leighton, looking like a slug in net, never had to bail out his team.
Martin was right to pull Halak - he had no help out there, no point in frustrating him. Price couldn't stop anything, but it sure is tough walking into a game like that.
So on to the next game! Too bad we dropped one, but there is still lots of hockey to play. And the score doesn't matter; only the W's do.
How do we beat them?
- Play hockey. Don't be afraid of the puck, don't take cheap shots. You can't intimidate Phily with late hits or wayward slashes; so stop trying. Stop worrying about it and play the game.
- Loosen up, but stay focused. Get the determination back to not let Phily have their game, or have their shots. Keep it simple, and take advantage when Phily finally cracks.
- Get over it. Phily is gonna hit you. They are gonna crash the net. They are gonna play like a bunch of brick-shit-houses. Stop trying to out-cheap-shot them, focus on your game style that got you to the finals, and drive it home.
- No Fear. These guys are not the Monster Under the Bed. They are just a hockey team. Stop buying into their marketing brochure.
Go Habs Go.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment