Buffalo 3 - Montreal 0
November 24, 2007
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The second game of the home-and-home series taking place between Montreal and Buffalo opened up at a wicked pace at the Bell Centre today! The Habs looked much stronger than they did on Friday and they went on several very high-action rushes early in the first. Jocelyn Thibeault looked sharp in the early minutes, replacing Ryan Miller in the net for the Sabres. Christobal Huet took over from Carey Price in minding the net for the Canadiens and he looked just as sharp, making several key saves through the first half of the first period. Each team enjoyed a one-man advantage with no results and a very hectic first period ended with no score.
Spacek and Vanek quickly combined to give the Sabres a 2-0 lead at the end of the first despite the Canadiens continued efforts. Jocelyn Thibeault made a few key saves on good Hab rushes and the Buffalo defense did a good job of making sure rebounds were cleared as quickly as possible.
More of the same through the third period. The Habs pulled Huet late in the period only to have Hecht throw the puck down the ice from the Sabres zone, rolling the puck just into the net of Christobal Huet. That put the Sabres up 3-0 and that’s where it ended only a minute later.
My Thoughts
I have to say, it frustrates me to see the Habs come out so strong tonight after simply coasting around the rink in Buffalo last night. I think that if the Canadiens gave it their all every time the puck dropped they’d be a very difficult team to beat. Everyone worked hard tonight; Higgins worked the corners, Ryder delivered a few key hits, Huet stood solidly between the pipes and Koivu weaved his magic. Steve Begin has kept up his rapid pace since netting a pair of goals the other night. Despite the fact that Thibeault and a strong Sabres team stole the show, the Canadiens looked more with it tonight.
What Went Wrong?
We looked a bit weak on the faceoffs and a more aggressive defense would have limited Buffalo’s chances in close, but overall the Habs played a fairly solid game. Thibeault made a few saves that should have been goals and that really was that.
The Canadiens lost all four possible points to Buffalo during their home-and-home; that translate to 8 divisional points between the two.
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