This was the final game of this CRAZY season. It all came to this. 2 fights, 4 goals and a bunch of penaltys. This was the bomb. Andrew Raycroft got the nod in this one and Mark Bell scored the last Maple Leafs' goal this season. Now, were all going to cheer, GO LEAFS GO for next season. ENJOY!
GAME RE-CAP(NHL.COM):
MONTREAL (AP) -While the Montreal Canadiens would be happy to celebrate their first conference title in ages, they finished the regular season with their eyes turned toward a making an unexpected run at a record 25th Stanley Cup.
Chris Higgins scored twice and Mark Streit had a goal and an assist as Montreal beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 Saturday night to finish their schedule atop the Eastern Conference.
"I think it's been a dream year," said coach Guy Carbonneau, whose team completed the regular season with a 47-25-10 record for 104 points.
The Canadiens have a two-point lead on second-place Pittsburgh, which plays its final game Sunday in Philadelphia. Montreal will claim its first conference title in 19 years if the Penguins, who also have 47 wins, lose to the Flyers.
"Obviously it would be great, but they don't really hang conference titles in this rink, they raise Stanley Cup banners," Canadiens goalie Carey Price said. "It would be kind of nice to get it but everybody knows what the ultimate prize is."
Price stopped 26 shots, finishing his rookie season with a 24-12-3 record and three shutouts in 41 games.
"It seems like I'm climbing the hill pretty fast, so hopefully I can keep climbing," said the 20-year-old goalie, who was chosen fifth overall by Montreal in the 2005 draft.
Regardless of whether they finish first or second overall in the East, Montreal will face Boston in the opening round of the playoffs as a result of the Bruins' 3-0 loss to Buffalo.
The Canadiens will host the series opener Thursday at the Bell Centre.
Mark Bell scored late in the second for Toronto, which missed the playoffs for a third straight season. The Maple Leafs finished last in the Northeast Division and 12th overall in the East with a 36-35-11 mark and 83 points.
Rarely-used backup Andrew Raycroft made 33 saves for Toronto, though it was the three shots that he didn't stop that pretty much summed up his dismal season.
"I'm not going to think about hockey for a while," Raycroft said. "I won't be watching playoff games, I won't be watching highlights, I won't be watching talk shows, I won't be listening to the radio. I'll be as far away as I can get."
Streit opened the scoring 9 minutes into the second when his soft wrist shot from the blue line somehow got between Raycroft's blocker and his right pad.
"The first goal was just a matter of him not being in the net," Maple Leafs coach Paul Maurice said.
Higgins made it a 2-0 lead to the delight of the crowd of 21,273 - Montreal's 141st consecutive sellout - when his shot from the right side went in off the tip of Raycroft's glove for his 26th goal at 14:03.
Bell drew the Maple Leafs within 2-1 when he was left alone in the slot to beat Price with a quick shot for his fourth goal at 18:02.
Higgins got his second of the game - extending his career high to 27 goals - when he beat Raycroft with a quick shot during a power play 7:28 into the third on a fine setup by Bryan Smolinski.
The goal gave the Canadiens a league-high total of 262 this season, one more than Ottawa. Detroit, which hosts Chicago on Sunday to complete its schedule, is third with 253 goals.
Montreal has not led the NHL in goals since 1979-80. The Canadiens scored 328 goals that season, one more than Philadelphia.
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Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens - Overtime!by Louproduction45,280 views
Whats up leaf fans? anyone know what game it was ( i think somewhere between 98 and 05...? The final between leafs and habs was like 12 - 1 or something. Anyone know where i can watch this?
rustyspikedclub 1 week ago
A Sens Fan, a Habs fan and a Leafs fan are climbing a mountain and arguing about who loves their team the most. The Sens fan insists that he is the most loyal and he yells ”this is for Ottawa!” and jumps off the mountain. Not to be out done, the Leafs fan next professes his love for his team. He screams, ”this is for Toronto!!” and pushes the Habs fan off the mountain
2braindamage 1 month ago
@lovemaker1972 who win?
porofthepro 2 months ago
fuck montreal GO LEAFS GO
lovemaker1972 5 months ago
Is it kinda ironic that the viagra advertisement is posted on the Leaf penalty box hahaha
aboosiaSJ 8 months ago 2
@Andragon90 ok go
mapleleafsfan98 9 months ago
@Sundin13qotsa well if my math isn't off 93 comes after 67. nuff said.
LineandSinkermtl 10 months ago
@gntluvr 24
purpledeadguy666 11 months ago
how many stanley cups have the canadiens won 23, 25?
gntluvr 1 year ago
@oleHABSole I miss Markov but not Kovalev. Imagine P.K Subban + Markov at the blue line. Kovalev always did the same f'n fake and would try to shoot through several players in front of the net. 90% of the time it would be blocked.
CONTRAHABS 1 year ago 2