Power play goals lead Montreal Canadiens to 3-1 victory over the Boston Bruins
If there’s one thing that’s been the thorn in the Montreal Canadiens’ side lately, it’s been their lack of success on the power play. The Habs once had the top power play in the National
Hockey League, but their special teams have been struggling this season.
But when the Habs faced the Boston Bruins on Thursday, 11 November, their power play finally came to life, giving them a 3-1 win over the home team.
How it happened
The visiting Habs got off to a strong start in the first period with their first of two power play goals. Defenceman P.K. Subban scored his first career regular-season goal at 5:19 of
the first to take an early lead. However, the Bruins got that one back at 15:49, when captain Zdeno Chara beat Carey Price for his fourth goal of the season. The Canadiens almost took a 2-1 lead after Jeff Halpern scored, but the goal was later disallowed
after a video review revealed that Halpern had kicked the puck into the net.
After a scoreless second period, the Habs opened the third period with a power play goal from captain Brian Gionta at 0:29. Gionta took a pass from Mike Cammalleri and then used a wrist
shot to put the puck behind Tuukka Rask. The goal proved to be the game-winner for Montreal, as Scott Gomez would add an insurance tally at 10:30. The Bruins, who had rallied to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-4 in their last game, failed to capitalize on their
chances, and wound up on the wrong end of a 3-1 defeat as a result.
What they’re saying
Scoring your first career NHL goal is always a special moment for a young player. Subban was elated after scoring in the first period, jumping into the air after he scored.
”I didn’t know what to do. I mean, usually when I score, I do something embarrassing anyways so I won’t hear the end of it,” the defenceman told
nhl.com after the game. “We’ve been winning, so that is the most important thing. But obviously, it is a relief. We need power-play goals too, so it is just good that I can put our team up one-nothing.”
Milan Lucic of the Bruins said that playing back-to-back games should not be an excuse for his team’s lack of effort in the game.
“Well, that should never be an excuse. We work out all summer and we’re highly trained athletes. We should be able to play two games in two nights, so it should not be an excuse.”
Both teams will return to action on Saturday 13 November. Montreal will face the Carolina Hurricanes at home, while Boston will continue their home stand against the Ottawa Senators.
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