Melted Igloo: Habs Advance To East Finals With 5-2 Win Over Pens In Game 7

After a second consecutive stunning series upset in seven games, SB Nation's Canadiens blog, Habs Eyes On The Prize, says they've never seen a Montreal team quite like the 2010 vintage:

I've seen a lot of hockey in my life. Close to 40 years of games and playoffs. I've seen some great Canadiens teams win Cups in transition years, between dynasties. I've been fortunate to witness one of hockey's rare dynasties at a time when I could not comprehend not winning the Cup. I've seen a pair of Habs teams defy the odds and earn two very unexpected Stanley Cups. I've seen legends unfold, great goalies stand on their heads, and players of all types raise their games. I've never seen anything like this...not even close. [...]

Consider....an eighth place team, that is much better than we all thought it was, with a red hot goalie and a couple of snipers we at least knew were capable.

We saw the positive elements of this team in spurts, but rarely all of it together at once.

Consider....a team that truly underwent the figurative extreme makeover in the off season.

Remember when we said it would take this new lineup 20 games to gel. Then 30. Then 40. Then by the Olympic break? Final answer, it took 82 games!

And now look!

We love our cool under fire Jaro, our sniper Cammalleri, the excited and excitable P.K. Subban, that little Giant Gionta, Mad Max the irritant, the silky Gomez and the crafty Plekanec, Josh Gorges and his guts, Pyatt with his sound game, Moen in everybody's faces, Markov's vision, MAB the world's smallest cannon, Metro and his right handed shot, AK46 when he's on, Hammer on his last breath, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's Hal Gill and his wingspan, Benny when he's on and hitting, Carey laughing at Jaro from the bench, Spacek and his goofy smile, Rhino when he's pasting bodies, and Moore, last to arrive on the team but the first into the corners.

Montreal will play either the Flyers or the Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals.

SBN’s Penguins blog Pensburgh says there’s a lot of people you can blame for Pittsburgh’s 5-2 loss to Montreal in Game 7. However, maybe it’s better to congratulate the Canadiens for playing such a good game instead.

You could blame Marc-Andre Fleury.

You could blame some defensive turnovers.

You could blame the power play for going 0 for 6.

Or, you can just tip a cap to the Montreal Canadiens. They played spectacular, they managed injuries, they had the best goalies and the best scoring forwards. So that’s what we’ll do.

The 2-time Eastern Conference Champions are dethroned. Over time we’ll come to see that the Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t lose this series, the Montreal Canadiens won it.

It’s not the ending the Igloo deserved, but it’s what it got.

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Once considered an afterthought, the eighth- seeded Montreal Canadiens are improbably headed to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 17 years after defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins, 5-2, in Game 7 of the conference semis -- the final game at Mellon Arena.

Brian Gionta scored twice, Michael Cammalleri added his league-leading 12th goal this postseason and Jaroslav Halak was outstanding in making 37 saves to help lead the Canadiens to their first conference finals since 1993, the last time the storied franchise won the Stanley Cup.

Dominic Moore and Travis Moen also scored for Montreal, which is the first eight-seed in the Eastern Conference to win two playoff series since the current format was adopted in 1994. The Habs have certainly had the flair for the dramatic this postseason, ousting the heavily-favored Presidents' Trophy- winning Capitals in seven games in the first round before disposing of the defending Stanley Cup champs on Wednesday.

The Habs will next face either long-time rival Boston or Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference finals.

Chris Kunitz and Jordan Staal tallied for the Penguins, who were looking to become the first team since the 1990-92 Bruins to advance to the conference finals in three consecutive seasons.

The two-time defending conference champs were doomed by the lack of production from their stars. Sidney Crosby ended the series with one goal and four assists, Evgeni Malkin had only a goal and an assist and Marc-Andre Fleury allowed four goals on 13 shots in this contest before being lifted for Brent Johnson. Neither Crosby nor Malkin had a point in Wednesday's decisive game.

Pittsburgh, which had won its last four Game 7s, closed out the only home its ever known in forgettable fashion. Ironically, Montreal also won the first- ever hockey game played at what was known then as Civic Arena in 1967.

Crosby was called for boarding just 10 seconds into the game, and the Canadiens tallied the all-important first goal on the ensuing power play.

During another delayed penalty on Pittsburgh, Montreal's PK Subban sent a backhand toward the net from the left boards. Gionta stood directly in the path of the puck and was able to redirect it past Fleury on the short side 32 seconds into the contest.

The visitors kept putting together good chances, while Pittsburgh struggled to test Halak; Montreal nearly made it 2-0 with 12:40 left in the first, but Maxim Lapierre's shot hit the right post.

As time wound below six minutes remaining in the first, Lapierre forced the puck behind the net but was checked by Pittsburgh's Brooks Orpik. As the puck bounced away, Orpik continued to check Lapierre, leaving the slot wide open. Moore was able to force a turnover in Pittsburgh's zone, skate to the vacated slot area and fire a wrister past Fleury at 14:23 for a 2-0 edge.

It only got worse for Pittsburgh, which gave up two more goals in the first five-plus minutes of the second period.

Another turnover in the Pens' zone led to Montreal's third goal, which was a perfect display of passing between Jaroslav Spacek, Andrei Kostitsyn and Cammalleri, who received a pass in the slot and one-timed it past Fleury at 3:32.

Pittsburgh looked to have an opportunity to get back into the game on a power play a short time later, but it was the Habs who increased their advantage while shorthanded at 5:14. Moen grabbed another Penguins turnover and moved up ice, passing it to himself ahead of defenseman Sergei Gonchar as he skated past the blue line. He corralled the puck at the top of the left circle and blasted a shot past Fleury, who was pulled in favor of Johnson after the play.

A fortunate bounce finally helped the Pens crack the scoreboard. Kris Letang had a shot from in close get blocked and sent off toward the side boards, but the disc bounced off the referee's skate and back to Kunitz, who was stationed to the left of the crease and fired it into the net at 8:36 for a three-goal game.

Pittsburgh started to gain control of the game's pace and cut its deficit to two with a power-play goal late in the second, when Staal shook off a defender and tipped in Alexei Ponikarovsky's blast from the top of the slot with 3:30 remaining for a 4-2 contest.

The Pens looked to climb closer in the third with a power play to start the frame, but Halak made a couple outstanding saves on Crosby and Malkin from just outside the crease.

The hosts' momentum was killed when they took a too-many-men penalty with 11 minutes left, and Montreal sealed Pittsburgh's fate with a power-play tally.

At exactly the midpoint of the period, Gionta was stationed at the left post and shoved Cammalleri's rebound into the wide-open net before Johnson could get into position.

The Penguins pulled Johnson with over four minutes to play in the game, but Halak stopped all 18 shots he faced in the third period to help Montreal seal the shocking victory.

This was the first Game 7 at Mellon Arena since 1996, when Pittsburgh lost to Florida in the East finals...Edmonton is the only eight-seed to advance to the conference finals, and they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006 before losing to Carolina...The team that has scored first has won 95 of 132 Game 7s...Cammalleri scored four goals in the last three games...Road teams are 3-0 in Game 7s this postseason...Pittsburgh dropped to 7-5 all time in Game 7s, including 2-5 at home...Montreal is 13-8 in Game 7s in its history, including 5-5 on the road...The Canadiens are the first team to defeat both the Presidents' Trophy winners and defending champs (with the two designations belonging to two different teams) since the 1990-91 Northstars...Montreal has won its last four Game 7s dating back to 2004...The Penguins will move into the CONSOL Energy Center next season.

If the Penguins lose tonight, it will be the final time Mellon Arena hosts NHL hockey. SBN's Habs Eyes On The Prize takes a look back into the history books and recognizes the old Pittsburgh Civic Arena.

And for the 99th and final time tonight at the Mellon Arena, the Penguins will host the Montreal Canadiens!

Regardless of tonight's outcome, the seventh game of the 2010 Conference Semi-Finals will be the very last time the Canadiens visit the cavernous and beautiful Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh.

Might it also be the final curtain call for the Penguins in their illustrious home?

 

It has not been lost on historians of the game that the Canadiens were the first NHL team to play a regular season game at the affectionately named Igloo, then known as the Pittsburgh Civic Auditorium back on October 11, 1967.

[...]

The Mellon is the most unique hockey arena in the NHL, by far, and I learned so much about it doing this research. The clippings and images you will see below, whether you are a passionate Pittsburgh fan or simply a hockey history buff like myself, will surely be a treat. They come from the pages of the Pittsburgh Press on September 16, 1961, when the Arena opened, and again from October 10, 11 and 12, 1967, on the pages leading up to and covering the Penguins first game. For those interested in seeing more new clippings from that era, do a search the Pittsburgh Press pages in the Google news archives. The online library for the paper goes back as far as 1900.

For more of the history, including a plethora of videos and photos, check out EOTP.

At SBN's Penguins blog, Pensburgh, Frank writes that fans of the defending Cup champs shouldn't be nervous as Game 7 approaches.

This is it.  Who's nervous? 

Well I'm here to tell you; don't be.  The Pens bounced back in two game sevens during the postseason last year and will have to prove they can do it again.  This game is going to come down to raw skill combined with who wants it more.  No weak penalties (hopefully) for either side.  Let the players skate, goaltenders save (Halak a little less, please) and the shots fly.

For more on the game from the Pittsburgh perspective, and to chat with other Penguins fans, be sure to visit Pensburgh.