Archive for April 2014

Saturday Night Special

Posted on Sunday, April 20, 2014 by WCHL Hockey

 
Habs keep slim playoff hopes alive
 
It was like a massive weight of the shoulders for the Canadiens, who live on for one more day.
 
Ottawa Senators (1) vs Montreal Canadiens (2)..........
The Senators rolled into Montreal a single point ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the race for the Atlantic Division crown and the chance to start the playoffs at home. It would appear by tonight's game that the Senators may have been looking past this game with the Habs.
Ottawa did open the scoring at 15:21 on the powerplay in the first as Michal Rozsival hammered home a rocket from the point for just his 2nd of the season through a maze of bodies in front of Viktor Fasth in the Canadiens net. The shots after 20 minutes were 11-7 Sens.
The second period was un-eventful except the fact that Ottawa seemed to play the whole period in a daze as they were out-shot 10-1 in the period. The only positive the Sens could take from that period was they still led by a goal.
In the third the Habs kept pouring it on and Cory Schneider finally cracked as he yielded a pair of goals to Montreal in the period on 14 shots. Trevor Lewis scored his 5th of the season at the 0:51 mark and Colin Wilson got the eventual game winner, his 20th of the season at the 2:17 mark. Montreal out-shot the Senators 31-22 over 60 minutes.
Viktor Fasth stopped 21 shots for his 21st win of the year.
MOLSON'S 3 STARS.....
1 - Viktor Fasth (Mon)..... 21 saves from 22 shots - 0.955 sv%
2 - Colin Wilson (Mon)... 1 goal, +1, 2 shot
3 - Trevor Lewis (Mon).... 1 goal, +1, 2 shot
GAME'S GOAT.......
The entire Ottawa Senators' squad. These players allowed a game get away from them that they should have had. With a division banner up for grabs against a team out of the playoffs, the team seemed disinterested in competing.
WHAT'S UP NEXT:
Ottawa will host Carolina on Monday as Carolina has four games remaining and are 7 points out so you know they will be ready.
Montreal will host Dallas on Tuesday. Montreal will need to win both of their two remaining games and hope for a little help in order to make the playoffs, including New Jersey losing all three of their remaining games.

Reporting for the WCHL Network...........
Peter Puck

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Saturday Night Special

Posted on Sunday, April 13, 2014 by WCHL Hockey

Just Ducky
 

 
San Jose Sharks (2) vs Anaheim Ducks (4).........
The Sharks came into Saturday's game against the Ducks with six point lead for the battle for the final playoff spot in the West. The Sharks had won just two of their last seven games overall, the Ducks had won three straight after last losing to Pittsburgh in a shoot-out.
In the first period the Sharks were holding their own, leading in shots on net 8-7 but the period ended 0-0.
Anaheim got an early second period powerplay and they wasted no time as the Ducks scored just four seconds into their powerplay as Chris Thorburn was off for slashing, Logan Couture (54th) converted a Derek Stepan pass. Alex Steen drew the Sharks even with his 25th of the year at the 17:26 mark as he picked up his own rebound off the back boards and slipped the puck past a sprawled Rask. Shots after forty minutes were 18-17 for San Jose.
In the third the Sharks took their first and only lead of the game on their third powerplay of the game, Tyler Seguin(35th) doing the honors, as he slipped the puck past a out of position Rask after the goalie had made a great save off of center Jonathan Toews. It was after that when the ceiling fell in on the Sharks as Anaheim scored three times in four plus minutes. Rick Nash(50th) at 15:11, Matt Moulson(58th) at 18:49 both on the PP. Shea Weber added salt to the wound of the Sharks by snapping home his 43rd of the year with just thirty seconds remaining in regulation. The Ducks exploded for 21 shots on the period to 9 for the Sharks.
In a surprised move, third stringer Al Montoya started for the Sharks in place of Pekke Rinne, in what the team was calling a maintenance day for the tender, he stopped 34 shots. Tuukka Rask was he usual stellar self as he stopped 25 of 27 for his 62nd win.
MOLSON'S 3 STARS:
1 - Matt Moulson (Ana)........ 1 goal, 1 assist, 4 shots
2 - Alexander Steen (San)..... 1 goal, +1, 4 shots
3 - Shea Weber (Ana).......... 1 goal, +1, 6 shots
GAME'S GOAT:
Randy Carlyle (SJ)........ the coach should take the blame for this loss as he played third stringer Montoya over both Rinne and Enroth, in what could be the game that is the difference between the team making the playoff and teeing off at Cinnabar Hills Golf Club come the end of the season.
NEXT UP:
San Jose will try to get back on track as they take on the Flyers in Philly on Sunday, the Flyers are 7-3 in their last ten games at home. Rookie Brandon Saad is fourth in rookie scoring with 53 points. Then the Sharks play host to the Boston Bruins on Monday, who have been out of the playoff race for a while but haven't given up as they have pulled out two shoot-out wins in their last two games.
Anaheim, having clinched their second consecutive President's Trophy, will just hope to play out the remainder of the season and limit their injuries play in Los Angeles on Sunday against a Kings team with a mathematical chance to finish second in the Pacific, so for the Kings atleast this game should mean alot. Then it's off to Boston on Tuesday where the tea will be-a-bruin. The Bruin players will be playing for the most part for a spot on the roster next season as their Season 18 is pretty much done.

Reporting for The WCHL Network.......
Peter Puck.

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Saturday Night Special

Posted on Sunday, April 6, 2014 by WCHL Hockey

Montreal not very hospitable
 
It was a rough ride for Toronto as they battled the Habs.
 
Toronto Maple Leafs (1) vs Montreal Canadiens (5).........
For the third installment of this original six match up this season, Toronto traveled to Montreal and attempted to shake the two game losing streak they were on. The Canadiens were just trying to stay within reach of the eighth and final playoff berth in the East.
The Habs struck twice late in the first to take the lead on goals by Rene Bourque(24th) at 11:16 on the powerplay and Matt Fratin(12th) at 18:00, five on five, but less than a minute later Mike Cammalleri(30th) sliced that lead in half. Montreal would score twice on just six shots on net.
An uneventful second frame saw each team squander two powerplay chances. The shots after 40 minutes were 19-13 in the Leafs' favor.
The third was a different story as Montreal wold count three in five minutes as Jonas Hiller would allow the three tallies on just nine shots. Justin Williams(34th) at 10:09, Eric Staal(61st) on powerplay at 13:06 and finally Drew Doughty(19th) at 15:09 also with the extra skater would be too high of a mountain for the Leafs to overcome.
Viktor Fasth stopped 31 of 32 shots for his 16th win of the season. While at the other end Jonas Hiller was ventilated for five goals on 22 shots on route to his 21st loss of the season.
MOLSON'S 3 STARS:
1 - Viktor Fasth (Mon)....... 31 saves, .969 sv%
2 - Justin Williams (Mon)..... 1 goal, 2 assists, 2 shots
3 - Matt Frattin (Mon)......... 1 goal, 1 assist, +1, 3 shots

The two teams play again on Monday in Toronto.

Reporting for WCHL Network.........
Peter Puck.

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