Habs/Flyers post game October 5th 2013

The Philadelphia flyers came and left Saturday night at the Bell Center with their heads down.

A final score of 4-1 in favor of the home team did in small part make up for the loss in the home opener.

Winning this game was an important step in the right direction for the Canadiens who start their west coast trip having gotten their first win out of the way.

Showing up in a big way was the (unofficially named) EGG line. Eller proved he's here to play. He put up another 2 points with one goal and setting up Gallagher for his marker. Each member of the line got 2 points and this could easily become the premier line by year's end.

Captain Brian Gionta posted a multi point game(1G/1A) and it means much more for the captain that he does it in front of the home crowd. Gionta, having suffered injury setbacks in recent memory, was able to remind the fans why he's the captain and still a valuable piece to the puzzle.

Defensively, the Canadiens played a very sound game. The Flyers were unable to generate any kind of momentum and that was in large part to the success of the Habs penalty killing. Standing out for the penalty kill were Jared Tinordi. He lead all Habs in shorthanded TOI. Also making his appearance was Ryan White. He logged in some shorthanded minutes and was noticeably effective. Although they accorded one late goal in the game, that goal was more about pride for Philadelphia than it was about making a late game push.

On a similar note, while the power play did score twice, anyone watching will argue their club should have had more success.  Had they been able to set up any kind of regular possession in the Flyers zone, they likely would have put the game away much earlier in the game.

For Carey Price, while he did not need to make any highlight reel saves, he made the saves he needed to make. Being up 1-0 for nearly two periods puts stress on the goaltender to maintain that lead. He held himself together and provided the support the team needed to seal the deal in the third.

The absence of Max Paccioretty was not an issue on this night. The team scored 4 without him but his linemates did feel the pinch in their ice time. David Desharnais went from leading all forwards last game to a more suitable, middle of the pack role, finishing with 13 minutes. Ultimately, if he wants to become an important participant on the team he will need to find a way to up his game because he is already an early candidate for the doghouse player of the year.

On a brighter note it would seem as though coach Therrien did listen to the fans when they asked that PK Subban be given more ice time. He lead the team with 28 minutes played and can even be credited for the goal judge's tic to jump the gun early when he ripped one that got lost in the mesh. More importantly he showed why he is a Norris winner. Offensively he posted an assist but it wasn't just about the offense. He was calm and cool under pressure and made the rest of the D feel the same way.

The Canadiens are west coast bound taking on the Canadian teams before heading home again. This 4 game road trip would normally be a big concern. This trip should be a little different though. The teams they face are not the cream of the Western crop and while Vancouver still has a legitimate team, an argument can be made that the glass is less full than it was in years past.

Posted in: brian gionta,daniel briere,habs,lars eller,montreal canadiens,Philadelphia Flyers,rene bourque,vincent lecavalier