Yikes! Six Goals in Thirteen Minutes

Canucks 6 Habs 2 – 21-Jan-06

Are you ready? Will you believe this?!? Jose Theodore and the team in front of him certainly were not ready. The second game on HNC featured the Nucks and the Habs. With more Hab’s jerseys in the stands than Canuck’s retro unis. The jersey / fan count was about all the Habs won on the night. Wow!

0:57 Morrison from Bertuzzi – 1 Zip nice start
1:51 Burrows from Henrik – 2 Zip way to go Alexandre and a better yet
2:22 Komisarek off for hooking
4:20 Ohlund from the twins power play – 3 Zip – I like this.

OK everyone catch your breath – we all think good first period!

10:44 Dandenault another hooking call
12:25 Naslund from Bertuzzi and Ohlund second rotation on the power play – 4 Zip
13:17 Henrik from Daniel and my other brother Anson we’re at 5 Zip now if you are still counting
13:17 Exit Theodore enter Cristobal Huet
13:47 Linden from Brookbank and Green – huh? 6 Zip. Who’s next on the score sheet? Jack McIlhargey?

In summary 5 goals on 11 shots in just over 13 minutes. Pull the goalie and the fourth line scores on the first shot of the next shift.

Soon after it started the blow out was over and the teams settled into a night of hockey. It was too bad that Auld gave up a two goals on only 24 shots. With one of those late in the third period too. Auld was good enough that the HNC crew awarded him third star. When I coached I used to ask the boys to win every shift and win every period. By that measure the Canadiens won the game 2 periods to 1. Some allowance must be given to the Nuck’s though as they did seem to let their collective foot off the gas out of respect for the storied old Canadiens franchise. Every Nuck except Brookbank (9:10) got over ten minutes of ice time. One might think on a similar night a team like Ottawa would have dumped the Hab’s by a double digit margin which just leads to bitter feelings when taking the 2 points and everyone still able to go out for a pop would be good enough.

Some trends I notice. The Triplets continue to out play the West Coast Express. Something is up with Naslund. His groin is still bad or something. The twins were the first two stars. Scott Oak interviewed them after the game. In my humble opinion, as much as I’d hate to admit it, Burke was right. Did you pick up on the insights and articulate interaction of the two? Especially Henrik who seems to have grown tremendous presence since the last season played. Anyone know does Neil McRae still call them ‘the sisters?’ If he does he hasn’t watched a Canuck’s game in 2006.

Bieksa has shown a few cracks in the last few games but this has been offset by McCarthy’s improved play. I’m pleased that even with Jovo out for this long we really do not seem to miss him all that much. Keep in mind the Nuck’s defense is a collective +4 better with Jovo out. Bieksa is the only other minus D man on the squad. Matt Cooke, another guy with bad plus/minus rating, has also been out a few games. The Nuck’s have not missed him all that much as well. Josh Green played a couple games, Tyler Bouck played a game and Wade Brookbank has played on the wing a few games more than he normally would. In this area I think the biggest difference has been the play of Alexandre Burrows (5 points in 10 games). He is only playing ten minutes a night but you notice number 14 out there. Green did get an assist in this game but he and Bouck are invisible. Maybe that isn’t such a bad thing for your third and fourth line support contingent. I seem to think we are doing better when the likes of Ruutu, Kesler, Cooke and now add Burrows are highly visible in the game.

Next up the Blues on the road. Hopfully the boys will go in to St Louis with a chip on the team’s shoulder and erase that 4-1 loss to the dreadful Blues which started 2006. They’ll need the two points to keep pace with Calgary who gets their turn to visit St Louie next week.