I’m watching the second game of the second round of the series between the Montréal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa had won the first game of the series on Thursday.
All season long, Montréal has had problems scoring early. This isn’t new. However, during the playoffs, they’ve had horrible, revolting problems scoring on the power play. Now during the season, they had a below average power play. The league average was 47 while they scored but 40 goals. Tampa meanwhile, had 53 power play goals during the season. So far in the play-offs, Montréal has a single power play goal, in 23 attempts.
Montréal had an early power play as Matt Carle received a penalty for an attempted mugging of Gallagher after a late scrum in the Tampa crease.
With 16:42 left in the first period, play-by-play announcer Jim Hughson let us know that the Habs still can’t score a first period goal.
With 15:33 left in the first, two whole minutes later, the HNIC crew is back to beating this horse, throwing up a 1st period goal differential factoid graphic that the Habs have scored 44 in the first and allowed 55 in the first. Not sure when these graphics are prepared but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were prepared in advance of the game as it must surely reduce the opportunities for error.
With 13:58 left in the period, now a minute and half later, we’re sent into a commercial break by being informed that it’s another scoreless start.
With 13:12 left, we’re told that while the Plekanec line had a good shift, it is stressed that again, there were no results.
The overwhelming narrative here is that the Habs didn’t score in the first period. But the first period isn’t even one-third over yet. Oh… by the way, with 12:40 left in the period, or half a minute after the last analytical gem, Montréal scored to take the lead.
Back to the stats displayed in the graphic, of them scoring only 44 goals in the first period over the course of the season. Seems awful, eh? Brutal perhaps. How did they even make the playoffs?
Oh… could it be because between the second and third period, they outscored their opponents 177-134? A goal differential of 43. Divide that by 2 and you have a 21.5 goal differential over their opponents over the second and third period of the game, or double the advantage they give up in the first. Montréal won the division by giving up the fewest goals in the league while have a slightly below average offence.
Strangely enough, when the Calgary Flames don’t score in the first, what we hear is that it’s really incredible how they outscore their opponents in the third period.
It really feels like the ‘story’ of the Habs this series has been decided already. Given that there is an actual problem with their power play, that would benefit from some analysis, this is really annoying to me.
As a far afield aside, Adam Oates has joined the broadcast team, providing an opportunity for Stroumboulopoulos to irk me by addressing him as ‘Coach’. Over the decades, there have been numerous coaches who have served as TV analysts in hockey, as well as in sports such as football. I don’t recall any of them ever being referred to as ‘Coach’, not even Don Cherry who is famous as a coach, his own segment on HNIC being called ‘Coach’s Corner’.
One of the more prominent such cases is Bill Cowher who after an undistinguished playing career, went on to coach the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers for fifteen seasons, including amongst them, the Super Bowl 2005 season. He is highly regarded as a coach. The other analysts, including hall of fame players, call him ‘Coach’, rather than ‘Bill’.
Adam Oates played for nineteen seasons in the NHL. At the time of his retirement, he was the fifth highest scoring player in league history. As such, he is in the hall of fame. He is highly regarded as a player.
In 2012-13, the abbreviated season, he was named coach of the Washington Capitals. The team had a good season, winning their division after a slow start. The following season was not as successful, with the team finishing fifth in their division (out of eight) and out of the playoffs. He is no longer Washington’s head coach and at this time, has 130 games coached at the NHL level.
Last year, in the playoffs (if I recall correctly) he began doing some analysis in between periods during HNIC broadcasts. P.J. Stock would call him ‘Coach’, the same way that Bill Cowher is addressed. For some reason this wears me out. Oates achieved much as a player but essentially nothing as a coach. As such, I think it is weird to address him in this way, especially since he isn’t currently a coach.
Anyway, tonight Oates is providing his opinions when the go back to the studio, and Stroumboulopoulos is calling him ‘Coach’. Sigh.
Aside aside… Scotiabank has a commercial about a kid and his dad and playing hockey. What number was the hero dad? Why, number 14. Why 14? I’m guessing he’s a Davey Keon fan, even though he looks a little young to me. Corporations using code to sing their bona fides.
Final aside…
With 24 seconds left in the first, Tampa scored to tie the game.
Teams that can’t score goals cannot give up last-minute goals. It’s deadly in general but especially when goals, and leads, are precious.
I Canicus 
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