I'm sure we'll here a steady stream of complaints about the "tainted" end to Game 4. But to me, it was pretty clear that Kovalev took a very mild slash. From there what happened was Kovalev's fault. First, he overreacted and - it appeared to me - was trying to draw a penalty. Then he collided with Souray, setting off the break in. Kovalev gave up on the play with the puck in a high risk area. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that the weak slash stung. But he certainly reacted badly and showed poor judgment and it cost the Habs the game. Anyone who looks at that play has to admit that it was hardly a display of gritty playoff character.
AND...this is exactly why we acquired travis green. he is a playoff warrior- simply put. he goes out and makes life miserable for the other team, and slaps a guy like kovalev on the gloves with a slash, b/c he knows he CAN. he didn't get him in the wrist folks. he got him ON THE GLOVE. i saw rivet and quintal and countless other habs players taking TWO HANDED paul bunyan chops at the b's players. but this thread is dedicated to travis green, who is my H E R O!!!! and just think, maybe him and lapointe are starting to rub off on their teammates
Lapointe and Green almost screwed the B's with a 5on3, other than that they have been so important to this team. Both are warriors on the ice and teammates love that. Green should play more though, him and Lapointe on the 3rd line would be awesome, replacing one of Axelsson or Rolston... I dunno which... but I would like to see it happen.
it was one of the most comical things ive seen in a long time. ive never seen such a selfish/idiotic thing in all my hockey watching. i think i woke up the neighborhood when murray scored
Melrose notorious for being the last to get behind the B's just ripped the Habs and Kovalev on NHL2night and called tonight's outcome "poetic justice". Ray Ferrraro also ripped Kovy.
From the AP game story -- it looks like the blame in the Habs' dressing room is going solely to Kovalev, not the refs (unless you ask Kovalev, of course...):
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Kovalev was shaking his hand after appearing to be slashed on the glove by Travis Green and lost sight of the puck -- and Souray and Murray.
"There's nothing you can say about that," said Kovalev, whose right hand was wrapped in a bag of ice. "We ended up in the middle of the ice and Sheldon ended up losing the puck."
Canadiens coach Claude Julien felt Kovalev made a bad decision.
"I think that when the referees don't call a penalty on a play, you can't stop playing," Julien said. "They decided not to call it and then they collided. Murray got the breakaway and he doesn't miss many of those.
"It's a crappy way to lose a game"
Souray also felt Kovalev should have been more concerned about playing the puck.
"It's crazy," Souray said. "I was just caught by surprise that he left the puck there and there was no one behind me. It's frustrating that it happened right now, in a game that was so important."
As a Bruins fan in Montreal, all i can say is ... the B's arent to blame for what Kovalev didnt do, which is continue to play until a whistle is blown. Tomorow moring all i will hear about is the GREAT SCREWJOB in Montreal during game 4.
Oh well a win is a win....and thats how the Stars beat the Sabres by blown call from refs.
The comments from the Canadiens say it all, no? Again, fans on both sides can cry all night long about calls that are or aren't made. But when your coach and teammates make comments questioning a player like that... it really cuts to the chase. It's too bad, the Habs played great the past two games and obviously Raycroft is the main reason the B's were even able to tie and win this game. To lose as they did tonight is tough to swallow. One guy let them down at the wrong time. But then, Kovalev's reputation proceeds him: supreme talent, as we saw all night long, but he has that baggage of being of questionable mettle. And we saw that too tonight.
AND...this is exactly why we acquired travis green. he is a playoff warrior- simply put. he goes out and makes life miserable for the other team, and slaps a guy like kovalev on the gloves with a slash, b/c he knows he CAN. he didn't get him in the wrist folks. he got him ON THE GLOVE. i saw rivet and quintal and countless other habs players taking TWO HANDED paul bunyan chops at the b's players. but this thread is dedicated to travis green, who is my H E R O!!!! and just think, maybe him and lapointe are starting to rub off on their teammates
Roll the tape back about 20-30 seconds before the game winning goal.
Green is carrying the Puck out of the Bruins end. He takes a shot across the back of the knees collapsing him to the ice, BUT he finishes the play off and gets the puck out of the Zone.
Puck moves up to the Montral zone, and ultimately center Ice. kovalev takes a slash, but no worse than the shot Green took. He quits on the play, hits his own teammate. Winning Goal for the B's
From the AP game story -- it looks like the blame in the Habs' dressing room is going solely to Kovalev, not the refs (unless you ask Kovalev, of course...):
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Kovalev was shaking his hand after appearing to be slashed on the glove by Travis Green and lost sight of the puck -- and Souray and Murray.
"There's nothing you can say about that," said Kovalev, whose right hand was wrapped in a bag of ice. "We ended up in the middle of the ice and Sheldon ended up losing the puck."
Canadiens coach Claude Julien felt Kovalev made a bad decision.
"I think that when the referees don't call a penalty on a play, you can't stop playing," Julien said. "They decided not to call it and then they collided. Murray got the breakaway and he doesn't miss many of those.
"It's a crappy way to lose a game"
Souray also felt Kovalev should have been more concerned about playing the puck.
"It's crazy," Souray said. "I was just caught by surprise that he left the puck there and there was no one behind me. It's frustrating that it happened right now, in a game that was so important."
From watching on The Score after the game, Souray also said that he didn't think it was much of a slash......
I'm sure we'll here a steady stream of complaints about the "tainted" end to Game 4. But to me, it was pretty clear that Kovalev took a very mild slash. From there what happened was Kovalev's fault. First, he overreacted and - it appeared to me - was trying to draw a penalty. Then he collided with Souray, setting off the break in. Kovalev gave up on the play with the puck in a high risk area. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that the weak slash stung. But he certainly reacted badly and showed poor judgment and it cost the Habs the game. Anyone who looks at that play has to admit that it was hardly a display of gritty playoff character.
You hit the nail on the head. Double ot, give me a break. Look at Colutier in Vancouver. He toughed it out and made that final save with a serious injury. Kovelev should take acting lessons from Riberio if he wants the refs to call that would be slash. Thornton gets hundreads of slashes like that every game with no calls let alone double overtime .
I would just like to add that the Habs lost because they failed to have Yanic out on the ice for that late third period face off. If yani is out there for that face off I say the Habs would have won. How could you not have the best face off man in the NHL out on the ice for that draw .
It is also probably likely that Ribiero's histrionics in Game 3 probably hurt Kovalev on that play in Game 4. No way are the refs going to get drawn into another tough call on a play that may not be as serious as the player's emoting would have one believe. Once bitten, twice shy.
Kovalev is not going to win any friends by suggesting that Souray coughed up the puck, especially after it was him that banged into Souray. Sounds like he is half way under the bus already...
``I guess he got slashed. Maybe. But do you stop playing? You know? We're in double OT. They'd already called a penalty against them. They (the refs) are going to let you play at that point.''
Souray is a straight up player and he is speaking the truth here. I'm sure many fans won't be able to past blaming the refs, but it's obvious even some of the Montreal people are wondering aloud about what happened.
I doublt we'll see Kovaleve back in a Habs uni next season, especially after this stunt, but Ribiero is too valuable assuming he plays next season the way he did this regular season. What a lousy way to end it too. :mad:
``I guess he got slashed. Maybe. But do you stop playing? You know? We're in double OT. They'd already called a penalty against them. They (the refs) are going to let you play at that point.''
Souray is a straight up player and he is speaking the truth here. I'm sure many fans won't be able to past blaming the refs, but it's obvious even some of the Montreal people are wondering aloud about what happened.
I'd love to have Souray on my team...he's the only Hab I respect these days. So when's the fire sale we can grab him in? LOL......Not that he'd be available if they ever did that. Kovalev will have to single handedly rack up a ton of points and lead the Habs to 3 straight victories to even stand an outside chance of being re-signed in MTL. Julien has his own job to worry about considering Gainey didn't not hire him, so I don't even know if he has the luxury of doing this, but I'd banish Kovalev to the press box if only for saying "Sheldon lost the puck" I'd make my commitment to the guys who will be back next year, character guys like Souray.
I would just like to add that the Habs lost because they failed to have Yanic out on the ice for that late third period face off. If yani is out there for that face off I say the Habs would have won. How could you not have the best face off man in the NHL out on the ice for that draw .
travis green owned yannic all night long, greener has been the best faceoff man in this series. the guy is built for playoffs.
I would just like to add that the Habs lost because they failed to have Yanic out on the ice for that late third period face off. If yani is out there for that face off I say the Habs would have won. How could you not have the best face off man in the NHL out on the ice for that draw .
What difference would it have made - the Habs won the faceoff, Samsonov beat out the Montreal player for the puck.
I would just like to add that the Habs lost because they failed to have Yanic out on the ice for that late third period face off. If yani is out there for that face off I say the Habs would have won. How could you not have the best face off man in the NHL out on the ice for that draw .
The Canadiens won that faceoff without Yanic. Problem is, Samsonov won control of the puck from your defenseman.
[QUOTE=Black Eye]It is also probably likely that Ribiero's histrionics in Game 3 probably hurt Kovalev on that play in Game 4. No way are the refs going to get drawn into another tough call on a play that may not be as serious as the player's emoting would have one believe. Once bitten, twice shy.
QUOTE]
that was my thought exactly...
the old never cry wolf thing bit them in the arse.
I would just like to add that the Habs lost because they failed to have Yanic out on the ice for that late third period face off. If yani is out there for that face off I say the Habs would have won. How could you not have the best face off man in the NHL out on the ice for that draw .
Actually... On the game tying goal the faceoff was win by Dowd for the habs... Of course, what can you do when the left wing Bruins player managed to touch the puck first in the backyard...
The whole play was destiny, damn it, 'cause the habs didnt managed to put this game out of hand which is all about Raycroft. Would he have been only VERY GOOD and not great in this game, Zednik would have score a hat trick and the game would have been over before the 3rd period...
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Now in my book, this serie is going to be over in 5... and i would want it this way if i would be a bruins fan. Returning to Mtl for game 6 after this 4th game would mean a game 7 in Boston automaticly... I dont think i'll be able to used my game 6 tickets but i still hope...
"There's nothing you can say about that," said Kovalev, whose right hand was wrapped in a bag of ice. "We ended up in the middle of the ice and Sheldon ended up losing the puck."
``I guess he got slashed. Maybe. But do you stop playing? You know? We're in double OT. They'd already called a penalty against them. They (the refs) are going to let you play at that point.'' -Souray
For teammates, they sure seem to be blaming each other on the play... I've never seen that before in the playoffs... You usually stick up for your 'mates whatever the situation.
Souray is correct here, of course... But I've never had a problem with Kovalev before this. I always thought he was pretty straight-up. "Sheldon ended up losing the puck"??? How was that Souray's fault?
Just from observation here on very limited resources and quotes... But maybe there's some controversy in the dressing room there.
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:mad: 
