I love games against the Montreal Canadiens. One of the oldest rivalries in hocky, and the games are always fast-paced, intense, and relatively clean. There are no questionable hitting incidents and no fighting. Just good, hard played hockey. Whenever these teams meet, no matter if one team is cold and one is hot, the games are always close.

This game was no exception. Carey Price gets the start in goal. Watching some of the Hamilton Bulldog games last year, I know this guy is good. His handful of NHL starts has seen his excellent play continue. The Leafs are one of the highest scoring teams in the league, so if they get many good shots on net, they should be fine, right? Well… not exactly.

The Leafs did get many shots in net. 40 in total, compared to 25 for Montreal. Enough shots to make some damage, but Carey Price came to play. This young kid looks like he will be around this league for quite some time. Price was excellent, stopping 37 shots, but the Leafs did get some goals by him.

The entire game was played hard and both teams has their chances. The Maple Leafs got 2 goals from Kyle Wellwood, and 1 from Boyd Devereaux. The Leafs were up 3-2 in the third period, but coughed it up when Alex Kovalev scored a snap shot at 13:58. The score remained 3-3 at the end of the third, and we are off to overtime.

This is where recent blunders by McCabe came back to haunt him. 35 seconds into the overtime frame and the Leafs are in Montreal’s zone. McCabe gets the puck right on the blueline, and with Mike Komisarek closing in, decides to pass the puck; not down into the corner where to open ice, but a risky pass over Komisarek to Antropov. Simply put, dumb choice, and it doesn’t work.

Mike Komisarek breaks down the ice alone, right from Montreal’s blueline. Andrew Raycroft gets set, Komisarek dekes slightly, and pots it five-hole. Game over.

Another blunder by McCabe, another questionable five-hole goal through Raycroft, another point missed for the Maple Leafs.