2021 Semi Finals Round : Montreal Canadiens vs Las Vegas Golden Knights (MTL Wins 4-2)

[Alexandron]

 

On 6/11/2021 at 12:44 PM, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

The improbable Canadiens meet the still-searching Golden Knights.

First time since 2014, the Canadiens are seeing play in the Final Four.....for the Knights, Final Four is 'old hat' as this will be their third Final Four appearance in the 4 years of their existence.
They are looking for the big prize.

I gotta believe, even with a red hot Carey Price, the Habs have to be heavy underdogs, although the big, tough, physical make up of the team seems well suited to playoff scenarios.
They did away with media favorite Toronto.... did away with Winnipeg (in sweep fashion!), a team some feel is on the cusp.
Problem is, the Knights aren't the Leafs or Jets.
Las Vegas is a multi-line, multi defense pairing with an almost complete, top to bottom workmanlike attitude.....all backed up the highly experienced and former Cup winner, Marc Andre Fleury.

Can Montreal beat the Knights down enough so that their forwards can take advantage and put up some goals?
Suzuki, Byron, Danault, Toffoli, Perry.... Habs will need every single one of these guys at their best.

Weber, Petry (if he can play...rumor is he has a nagging injury), maybe even young Romanov will be needed to come up large from a defensive standpoint.

As for the Knights, they deal with a team that many feel "shouldn't be there", but if the Knights let themselves believe they are superior, they could be in big trouble.
LV simply has to be who they are, throw everything at Montreal like they did against the Wild and Avalanche and see if the Canadiens can withstand it.

Price vs Fleury is a classic goaltending match up.
Also, this series could get VERY physical, VERY nasty, VERY quickly.

Series discussion for the Habs n Knights...right here!

I think Canadiens played an outstanding game. They did it on a road and in regulation (3:2). Wow. Armia, Byron and Toffoli were able to score. And Shea Weber did come up large from a defensive standpoint. Series tied now 1-1.

Edited June 17, 2021 by Alexandron

[lynxrattle]

Home game advantage broken by the Habs

 

 

[Brewin Flames]

 

[Brewin Flames]

I have a cousin who lives in Vegas....she was there last night, wants me and my fam to come out for a vegas vacation and a game, maybe next year.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Holy %$##....

The Vegas Bumbling Knights had the game.
1:55 left in the 3rd, 2-1 lead, they were controlling the play, Montreal looked frustrated, they were about to pull their goalie.....

Then, MAF.
Oh my.
Fumbles the puck, gives it away to the Canadiens who pot the puck, tie it, send it to OT.............where they end up beating Fleury and the Knights.

THAT play will stick with MAF for a long, long time....especially if the Knights end up losing this series.

[lynxrattle]

That's a dang-it

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Just now, lynxrattle said:

That's a dang-it

 

Well, that certainly is the NICE way to put it for Vegas fans.
I am sure more colorful metaphors wouldn't be out of place here 

[Alexandron]

Another outstanding win by Canadiens. They are surprising me more and more. Probably entire Canada is watching these series.

[Brewin Flames]

 

[Brewin Flames]

MAF will want that one back...montreal steals one, good on them.

[Puck_Pun]

Certainly a stolen game, Vegas were the better team but with a couple of lapses that cost them dearly. Fleury had a bad day at the office, especially with that one misplay of the puck.

 

Looking forward to game 4

[WordsOfWisdom]

10 hours ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

Then, MAF.
Oh my.
Fumbles the puck, gives it away to the Canadiens who pot the puck, tie it, send it to OT.............where they end up beating Fleury and the Knights.

 

Stay in the net!!!  

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

7 hours ago, Brewin Flames said:

MAF will want that one back...montreal steals one, good on them.

 

3 hours ago, Puck_Pun said:

Certainly a stolen game, Vegas were the better team but with a couple of lapses that cost them dearly. Fleury had a bad day at the office, especially with that one misplay of the puck.

 

Looking forward to game 4

 

 

Yes, but is it REALLY stealing something when someone gift wraps it, gets you a card, puts a bow on it, even gets the product protection plan for you, then hands it right to you on a platinum platter?

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

3 hours ago, WordsOfWisdom said:

 

Stay in the net!!!  

We HAVE gone over this haven't we?  

[SaucyJack]

1 hour ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

We HAVE gone over this haven't we?  

Not enough, I’m afraid!

 

(Capitals’ Samsonov is now off the hook for the boneheadiest goalie gaffe of this year’s Cup-proceedings.)

[SaucyJack]

[LenPa]

5 hours ago, Puck_Pun said:

Certainly a stolen game, Vegas were the better team but with a couple of lapses that cost them dearly. Fleury had a bad day at the office, especially with that one misplay of the puck.

 

Looking forward to game 4

That is true. More like a bonus, but still a great win especially for the mind.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

35 minutes ago, SaucyJack said:

 

Yea, that was from that missed high stick.
The Habs SHOULD have gotten a PP out of that.

I guess in the end, even though we will never know if Montreal would have scored on that PP, the hockey gods took care of things by possessing MAF as he mishandled the puck leading to what transpired.

[OccamsRazor]

33 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

Yea, that was from that missed high stick.
The Habs SHOULD have gotten a PP out of that.

I guess in the end, even though we will never know if Montreal would have scored on that PP, the hockey gods took care of things by possessing MAF as he mishandled the puck leading to what transpired.

 

 

Sometimes the other team just wants it more is all it comes down too...

 

 

#wantitmore

 

[Jimtown guy]

[WordsOfWisdom]

19 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

Sometimes the other team just wants it more is all it comes down too...

 

 

Sadly, the Leafs haven't had a guy like that on their roster since the days of Gary Roberts, Tie Domi, Darcy Tucker, and co.

 

 

[WordsOfWisdom]

22 hours ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

We HAVE gone over this haven't we?  

 

My thoughts exactly lol. 

 

If someone can show me even ONE GOAL that directly resulted from a goalie NOT coming out to play the puck, I might reconsider my view. Until then, my stance is that a goalie should only come out to play the puck behind the goal line if (and only if) all of the following conditions occur: 

1. There are no opposing players in the zone.
2. The puck has settled, and there is no danger of a weird carom off the boards.
3. It is beneficial to do so in that you save the defender time in having to skate back to play the puck. Example: On a power play, to exploit a line change, etc.

Edited June 20, 2021 by WordsOfWisdom

[blocker]

The giveaway was bad enough, but I wonder how much damage has been done to Vegas by the coach throwing Fleury under the bus with his postgame comments.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

2 hours ago, blocker said:

The giveaway was bad enough, but I wonder how much damage has been done to Vegas by the coach throwing Fleury under the bus with his postgame comments.

 

Not only THAT, but he gets replaced by Robin Lehner tonight.

Last time Lehner was given the start, the Avs kicked the Knights arses.

[Jimtown guy]

I am shocked by the lack of intensity from Vegas. Credit the Habs for coming out with both guns a blazin