CHANNEL THE ENERGY NOW

It's time to set a curse on all things Walrus.

Half the team is missing folks. We've got nothing left.

We like this theme.

Just do this.

Robert Mayer - Waiting on the World to Change

The story of this series is hard to believe.

Everyone was clamouring for a Habs-Leafs series,  for the sex appeal of it all. But we all knew the toll that matchup would take on the smaller Habs could be a dear price to pay.

Well, the toll this series with Ottawa has exacted on the Habs is astounding.

The first round has wiped the boys out and nothing can make even the most hopeful soul believe the Habs can turn the tide and win the series.

Eller, Prust, Gionta, White, Price. All gone. After 4 games. It's almost unfathomable. Pacioretty, playing hurt, is a non-factor.

And the weirdness of it all.

Game 1 - as dominating a performance you can ask for. 50 shots. Overwhelming dazzle by Montreal. And then 10 seconds after the Habs' first goal of the series - Eller goes down in a flashback to the wind sucked out of the building when Zednik and Pacioretty both looked like their life was hanging in the balance. And then Carey gave the Sens the win in the third, in yet another display of shaky goaltending.

Game 2 - Logic prevailed. Another great performance by Montreal, with less fanfare and blitz. Series tied.

Game 3 - Total deflation. The weird 6-1 score in a game that was 2-1 Ottawa to start the third. Another terrible third period by Montreal. Sans Gionta and Pacioretty.

Game 4 - 2-0 to start the third. Excellent road play by the Habs who had taken over the game in the second. Another horrible third period. OT, sans Price lasts a few minutes and a terrible goal floats by a cold Budaj. Series nearly over. Kicked in goal. Groin pull. 20 second tying heartbreaker. I mean the floodgates aren't open, they're inviting.

Game 5 - Waiting on the World to Change. Robert Mayer may see some ice time tonight if things go bad. Robert Mayer. Like Waiting on the World to Change, Mayer. Like your body is a wonderland Mayer. Ay caramba.

What Montreal has failed to do this series is develop a killer instinct. Finish the Sens off when they had them down and beat. That 5 on 3 at the end of the second period in Game 1. The poor showing in the third when the game was still theirs. I don't think Montreal fully recuperated from that loss - from the way they lost that game. Because they've done it over and over again.

Tonight is a game that sees the odds stacked highly against Montreal. Budaj is going to have to get the job done, which isn't impossible. But how resilient can you ask a team to be? What's coach Therrien going to tell them? OK boys I know half of you aren't here. I know you saw your boy Eller almost die there last week. I know our number one goalie is gone. Your captain can't even lift his harm to smell his armpit and he's also done for the rest of the year cause he's having surgery in like 8 minutes. I know the only guy on the team who can actually fight moderately well won't be here because every part of his anatomy has taken a blow in the last week. Yeah, yeah, that's Robert Mayer over there in the stall. Yes, yes, it's him. But I don't know, boys, something tells me you've got a chance on any given Sunday. I know it's not Sunday.

The anti-Pacino.

Whatever happens, stand up tonight and salute the home team at the end of the game. Hoooooah!

NHL AMENDS REFEREE SYSTEM

NHL AMENDS LOGO

NHL AMENDS RULE 48

Rule 48 - Illegal Check to the Head

48.1 Illegal Check to the Head – A hit resulting in contact with an opponent's head where the head is targeted and the principal point of contact is not permitted. However, in determining whether such a hit should have been permitted, the circumstances of the hit, including whether the opponent put himself in a vulnerable position immediately prior to or simultaneously with the hit or the head contact on an otherwise legal body check was avoidable, can be considered.

48.2 Minor Penalty - For violation of this rule, a minor penaltyshall be assessed.

48.3 Major Penalty - There is no provision for a major penalty for this rule.

48.4 Game Misconduct Penalty – There is no provision for a major penalty for this rule.

48.5 Match Penalty - The Referee, at his discretion, may assess a match penalty if, in his judgment, the player attempted to or deliberately injured his opponent with an illegal check to the head.
         If deemed appropriate, supplementary discipline can be applied by the Commissioner at his discretion.

48.6 Fines and Suspensions – Any player who incurs a total of two (2) game misconducts under this rule, in either regular League or playoff games, shall be suspended automatically for the next game his team plays. For each subsequent game misconduct penalty the automatic suspension shall be increased by one game.

Rule 48 - Kicking

48. Kicking a puck in the net is allowed and even encouraged.

Habs and Walrus Even After 2

Well it took about 30 minutes of hockey to ignite a rivalry that prior to this couldn't be bothered.

A performance that would make Jaro say "Anderson yo so gret golie you beet fat Cari wale so fat Cari big to the ass Cari all gols in behind to his net Cari". That's how good Anderson was. That's how bad Carey was.

Then Eller took a page ut of the Zednik's and Pacioretty's of this world.

I've seen all those hits live and every time i can tell you the life in the building is just instantly sucked out from the ventilation systems. The game means little. A life appears to be on the line and you just wait for a sign of hope to hang on to. With twitter fans were scrambling to their feeds to get morsels of information that would reassure them on Eller's status. 

Number 61.

61 only meant something in baseball until Thursday night.

But the walrus gave it entirely new meaning in a classless display of do whatever it takes to win.

Brendan Prust to exception. So did coach Therrien. So did the PK'ISTS.

It was a despicable performance by MacLean - he was as poor as his players were on that night - save for the surreal Anderson.

Fast forward 22 hours.

An entire line is wiped out - as Kevin Spacy would say - and just like that, it's gone.

Eller, Gionta, Pacioretty.

Heartbreak after throwing 50 at Andy. Another horrendous showing by a deflating Price.

This series was over.

No.

It really wasn't.

Again, the Habs took it to the Sens and for a moment it looked as if they would hit 50 again.

They didn't need 50. They played hard, they played patiently. And they took the game - just like that. Carey dug deep. White played the game of his career and the Walrus took a back seat to a better team defeating his squad.

Because the Habs are the better team. They just need to have the better goalie.

Here we are. Game 3. 

Rivalry ignited.

WHO'S IN THE HOUSE? - OF COMMONS

Let's break this thing down.

The match-ups. The line adjustments. The goaltending. The aging veterans. The virgin rookies. How does it all work?

No damn clue.

Don't like to predict. Don't like to guess. Dryden once said no need to predict - that's why the games are played.

Dryden, that's a start. MP, parliament, Ottawa, Senators Habs. Playoffs. Who rules the house? The lower house - the upper house.

Ok. I got it.

This is how I feel the series is best depicted.

Let's do this. Brit Wig style.