Game 2: An Afternoon Delight
Sunday Afternoon Hockey in Canada: Doesn't have a good ring to it.
After this past afternoon we know that there were no excuses.
Game 2 was a regroup for the Canadiens as they had to at least take one game in Pittsburgh. The situation looked bleak after having a rough game 1 and the defense were missing Andrei Markov to an undisclosed lower body injury and Jaroslav Spacek to a mysterious virus.
I see that defense is not very clear about things as of late.
Game two would be the clean slate to figure out how to shut down the Penguins. However it was in a short amount of time as to encourage and showcase the NHL to the US market. They had to play a Sunday afternoon game on a US national network.
Now how does that work exactly? An afternoon game?
Game 2: hmm, umm. I’m at work. The misfires of afternoon games is that it’s too early to drink and I’m at work till 3pm. How exactly does an afternoon game encourage Americans to watch hockey? The last time I did that was the Olympics and they started at 3pm. Really? No one is up at 2pm on a Sunday. Can’t get out of work for this one.
I asked a friend to text me if anyone scores and at the same time I can kind of see the TV from Vol the Nuit across the way. By the way, it’s hard to serve people while my phone vibrates with a result that you’re not sure if it’s good or bad news.
Luckily by the time I finished the score was tied. Matt Cooke, the villain from game 1 scored early on and towards the end Gionta saved our asses. According to my friend via text, the Canadiens played better, however both sides didn’t look stellar.
Thanks for the 1st period info and will owe you beer later.
I trekked to the Copacabana two blocks from my work, otherwise known as my office as I usually watch games and drink there a majority of the time. The disadvantage of afternoon games if it’s a really nice day, why would anyone want to stay inside a dark bar to watch hockey?
As I walked into the bar, Cammalleri scores. Note to self: do that again later. Maybe three more times.
I wasn’t the only one as half the bar was filled. It was a family affair as some of the patrons brought their families for a lesson in what it’s like to kick Sidney Crosby’s ass. Yes, he was contained to only one shot and boy was he ever frustrated.
It’s time for you to be a man now, eh Crosby. Quit your whining and your stupid moustache, I’ve seen better fuzz on hipsters. That conquistador look is not faring well as a playoff look.
Montreal recovered on the penalty kill, going 3 for 3. They figured out a new way of shutting down Pittsburgh: exhausting the crap out of them. They were skating and outshooting and we were all over them. So tired they were, the lame excuse we used on Halak in game one.
Halak was back in form, Crosby couldn’t figure him out. Neither has Malkin. It’s a repeat of what he did last series, instead different superstars.
PK Subban became a man today as he realized that since Markov was gone (who knows for how long) and the defense had to step it up. He played more than 20 minutes and got a crash course on how to contain a superstar. Yes, Crosby may have won gold but Subban got him to eat Plexiglas.
Oh wow, Roman Hamrlik does exist.
Another friend walks in, Cammalleri scores. I love this new system.
Minutes later, Craig Adams nails Marc-Andre Bergeron from behind. Another dirty play to knock another defenseman out of the lineup. This time there’s a penalty and possibly a review for a possible suspension I hope. The Canadiens got lucky that Bergeron wasn’t hurt, he stayed on the bench for the remainder of the game. We can’t afford to lose more on defense but Pittsburgh has to stop playing dirty. There could be dire consequences.
So far there are as each team has lost a key player and are playing tougher as the series now shifts back to Montreal. Who knew we would be playing a home game in May?
Grabbing one game in Pittsburgh puts us back in a good position and gaining confidence after thinking it would be doom and gloom with the Markov loss. However shutting down Crosby would motivate him to put on a scoring clinic at the Bell Centre. Then again, watching him break a stick in frustration shows signs that the normally focused Crosby might unhinge.
And with the win on this beautiful Sunday afternoon I went out for ice cream.
