Habs/Lightning Post-Game November 12th 2013

The Canadiens fell to the Stamkos-less Lightning on Tuesday night in a shootout as the Canadiens have only been on a skit recently only having won 1 game in their last 7.

With their missing star in Steven Stamkos it should have been a game the Canadiens have won on paper. In Tampa Bay, John Cooper has done as good a turn around for the Lightning as Patrick Roy has done for the Avalanche this season.

It was a low-scoring game and it seemed as though the Lightning should have been credited with a goal but the review showed that there had been incidental contact on Carey Price and that negated the goal for the Bolts.

Daniel Briere made a return to the ice after missing 10 games due to a concussion. He scored a goal in his return and seemed to find his stride in the later parts of the game.

It was very disappointing to see that the EGG line did not pick up where it left off from last game. especially given that this team was ready to be had. Despite the outstanding play of Ben Bishop this season alot of credit should be given to how coach Cooper has instilled a more defensive focused system with his players that the whole team has bought into.

The Canadiens did look sharp on the penalty kill especially in the later parts of the game when they killed off three in the third period alone and were able to hold back the Bolts short-handed during overtime, which lead to a penalty shoot-out.

The Canadiens had very little opportunities to score in the early going against Bishop only taking 13 shots towards goal, but were able to get 10 shots on goal in the third which helped break the shut-out bid for the netminder.

Price looked good for the Canadiens as he stopped 44/45 shots he faced and really did not seem to have mch help from his teammates who are usually lining up to stop shots in front of him. The Lightning were a good puck moving team but that should not mean that on home ice the opposition outplays them especially being short their super-star.

The Canadiens need to find their rhythm before they dig themselves a hole they will come to regret. Especially in these very significant division games that make every point count. The shoot-out point should not be taken as a moral victory. They shouldn't have been outplayed on home ice that much and needed a far better outing than the ones they have given their fans of late.

Posted in: Ben Bishop,carey price,daniel briere,John cooper,montreal canadiens,steven stamkos,tampa bay lightning