Habs down Sens in shootout
MONTREAL — Despite their position in the standings, the Montreal Canadiens have had the Ottawa Senators wrapped up this season. With Wednesday’s 3-2 shootout win, they’ve now won three of their four meetings.
That has Ottawa coach Paul MacLean wondering what happens to his team when it plays the Habs.
It’ll be an answer he’ll be looking for before the teams resume this home-and-home series Friday at Scotiabank Place.
“We’re happy to get a point on the road … but for the most part this team doesn’t bring out the best in us, for some reason,” said MacLean.
“We have another opportunity on Friday to find a solution. We don’t seem to be able to skate the way we do when we’re successful, for whatever reason.
“We don’t skate very good against this team and we have to find a solution to that.”
Apart from goalie Carey Price, David Desharnais played a major role for Montreal.
He scored in regulation early in the third and then got the only shootout goal.
With one point, the Senators now have 82, one shy of the Northeast Division-leading Boston Bruins. The Bruins have two games in hand.
Colin Greening and Erik Karlsson scored for the Senators in regulation, while Erik Cole got Montreal’s other regulation goal.
Karlsson’s 19th goal tied the team’s record for goals by a defenceman. It was set by Steve Duchesne in 1996-97.
Ben Bishop faced 26 shots in regulation while Price faced 37.
Bishop’s first game at the Bell Centre is not one that will be fondly recalled.
“It could have been a lot better,” he said. “We needed two points. We got one. It’s better than none. But it could have been better.”
Jason Spezza, who had two assists, said the Senators let the Habs slow them down.
We created a lot of chances,” he said. “At times we played well, and at times we let them slow the game down too much and played too much neutral-zone ping pong.
“They’re playing a real strict system right now and it makes it difficult.
“And when you get to a shootout, it’s 50-50. So we’ll take the point, regroup, watch the tape and figure out what we have to do better.”
Cole’s 27th goal of the year at 13:45 of the first gave the Canadiens a shortlived 1-0 lead, but it will be memorable for what happened in its aftermath.
By pure reflex, Cole high-fived a surprised referee Greg Kimmerly as he skated past, Kimmerly having raised his arm to signify a goal.
Cole didn’t even realize what he had done until he had gone around the net and made it to the far circle. Then he couldn’t help smiling.
It’s already up on YouTube if you missed it.
“The ref was the only one there so I had to celebrate with someone, ” Cole said.
Senators are doing well this season I think that they should improving in a lot of things since Paul Maclean becomes the head coach. But since then a win to Montréal canadiens in the shoot out it really means that the Ottawa Senators are prepare to wi their 1st Stanley Cup
Boring game. Montreal did what they ad to and a number of Ottawa players really weren’t skating last night. Hopefully Friday’s game will be better.
The difference.. Carey Price. He outplays the Sens goaltenders… for those wins.
Mtl is a very fast team that the Sens have trouble with.
The Sens did not play their way… like they did against the Rangers & Boston… They have to get back to that.
Bishop played okay… but he has to practice the shootout.. He is at a disadvantage in not seeing any of the players for the opposition in the shootout. The goaltending coach has to help him prepare for that..
I would like to see Lehner the next two games.. Mtl & Tor… Alternate the two until Anderson comes back..
Sens need back-to-back wins this weekend. It would jump-start a stretch run for the Division Championship and the #2 seed. Less give-aways, harder skating will get them back on track. Go SENS Go!