Islanders at Montreal [Game Thread]

Wow, close opportunity for the Habs – and Trent Hunter dove and nearly put his face in front of a shot from the left side.

Patrice Brisebois just lined up Jeff Tambellini for a hit in the corner — and Brisebois’s the one who got the worst of it, with a shoulder or wind-knocked-out deal. This is Jeff Tambellini he ran into!

Great pile-on pressure on the PP.

Hamrlik shot, looked tipped.

On a looong cross-ice pass to one-timer by Higgins.

Gorges, shot from the point.

Just noticed there’s a big VIAGRA ad behind the Canadiens’ goal. I know um, “booster” ads are everywhere, but it’s still a jolt to see it on the hockey rink, in capital letters.

VIAGRA. S A M S U N G. Tim Horton’s.

Isles had the lead ever so briefly, promptly waking the Habs’ comeback gods. This game looks like a fun one so far.

But for a bouncing puck, Sutton would have sprung Park on a breakaway there.

I’m going to stop recording positive notes, because every time I do, the Canadiens score. Lapiere from Higgins. Motivated by the Viagra ad, no doubt.

“Canadiens are winning the battles,” says Billy Jaffe. Indeed.

Isles look tired, a little overwhelmed. Having trouble clearing it out even. This game could get away from them in a hurry.

[whew] Canadiens PP over, though.

Sweet. Great shot by Bailey off the post from the top of the circle. Scrappy Trent Hunter slams the rebound off the post, which bounces off Price’s glove and in. New game!

Shot saved by MacDonald — quick whistle, as it looked like he had it smothered. But it was loose — I mean loose — and Kostitsyn had it and took it around the net to put in an empty net. Bergenheim takes exception and charges him in the corner — although you almost can’t blame Kostitsyn, the puck was so loose and on a platter for him. So then a broader scrum happens, and hopefully no penalties came from it.

So the Islanders inadvertently ice it at the end of a long shift (it was a diagonal pass that went too far). Hunter even dives for the pass in hopes of touching it beyond the red line — just to prevent the icing and let them change.

So what does Bailey do on the faceoff? He wins it forward in a biiig chip, up into the air, down the ice, so the Isles are able to change while the Habs retrieve the puck. Not only can this kid pass, he seems to make little smart plays like this all the time. I think this kid is staying.

Woo, Hilbert and Park almost convert a shorthanded 2-on-1, but Park’s stick breaks before the shot gets off.

Jaffe: “How about that $125 stick right there, huh?” Amen. Death to crappy designer one-pieces.

…bats it out of the air with his stick. Man, this game has been a great show so far.

Montreal will begin the third with a continuing PP. Isles looked better as the period went on. Time return the comeback favor to the Habs. I mean, they’re in a longer dynasty drought than we are!

Isles start off the third by killing the PP, followed by an icing that keeps the penalty killers on the ice. That’s twice these icings have kept an exhausted Trent Hunter on the ice. You see his face and can just feel the burn in his lungs right now.

Come on, Streit, give us a PP blast to ding your old team… pretty please.

I just realized the Kostitsyns don’t have their first initials on their jerseys. I don’t know if that’s a name-length thing, or a Canadiens thing, or a RBK UNIFORM SYSTEM thing, but it’s a bummer. Not only does it help, it’s a cool tradition for brothers.

12 minutes into the third, the Habs are just controlling play, hemming the Isles in their own zone. Brendan Witt, who has looked slow and hunched to me tonight, looking particularly tired right now.

…but here comes an Islanders powerplay.

Weight made moves at the line, but it still looked like Sim was clear, even though they ruled him offside. That hurts.

Tied 3-3! Habs pulled Price because of a (dubious) delayed penalty, and with Weight pressuring, O’Bryne sent it back from the half boards in his own zone … and into the empty net! Insane! I haven’t seen that years, and never as it happened.

Officially goes to Bergenheim — who also took the penalty. This game has had quite the mix.

Drat…Sim put it over the glass while trying to rush out. 1:26 left to go.

And the replay on Bergenheim’s penalty — awful call.

Meanwhile “own-goaler” O’Byrne has not returned to the ice.

The Isle finally got a couple great bounces in this one.

Poor Ryan O’Byrne. At first I thought Weight’s check forced his stick to hit the puck, but a replay shows he pretty much passed it in on his own. The replay of the fans’ facial expressions was priceless. Apparently O’Byrne has been getting booed by fans for other reasons lately, too.

A great, wild game, and it will be decided by a breakaway contest.

what a crazy game. bit of everything.