Caps/Habs GAME 7 Preview and Open Thread: 2004 Inspiration Edition

Okay, so let's try this again.*

Details: if you don't know starting time and roster news etc. by now, perhaps you would be more comfortable here.

Good omens: Remember the 2004 series? Second place Bruins versus seventh place Habs (despite the fact that both teams actually had the same number of wins.) Here's a game by game recap to refresh your memory.

In a few words, the improbable comeback story then was about Theo's saves, Kovy's goals and Jumbo Joe's choke. If the Habs pull this off, the storyline will be Halak's saves, Squid's goals and Ovie's choke. Now, we're not saying that last one is necessarily fair to Ovie, we're just suggesting that maybe, perhaps, Caps fans may be less than satisfied with their new captain's first playoff series if the Caps lose tonight. Then again, maybe Ovie buries Jaro the Cult Hero tonight. (Hedging now over.)

Bad omens: The Caps finished with a bunch more wins than the Habs and are WAAAY better than the '04 Bruins. Even if the Habs win, in '04 they then lost 4 straight to the eventual Cup champ Bolts. If the Habs win, they will play the Pens. Hmmm.

Now playing the part of the Koivu/Kovalev/Zednik line is Squid/Turtle/Big Tits meaning just like in 2004, one line is probably going to have to get it done, scoring wise, to win the game.

Also meaning that just like the Little Fuckity-Fuck and that waste of space (cap and ice) Micheal Ryder utterly disappeared in 2004, Gomer and CHicken have been abysmal, meaning Habs management still needs to do a better job stocking the second line.

More importantly, Markov has to play like Markov, meaning...some more things haven't changed all that much in half a dozen tours around the sun; Skillsie (or Georges - somewhat ironically - or as I now like to call him, Forth Star) has to play like a Rivet meaning the Habs need a guy to keep shutting down the Caps' PP and eat up minutes on D since Hamr and MAB are useless; and Jaro has to play like that guy who started in the series but is now warming the end of the opponents bench meaning - wait, what?

However the on-ice roles play out, one thing is clear: defence is the key.

2004:
first 4 games: 11GA
last 3 games: 3GA

2010:
first 4 games: 19GA
last 2 games: 2GA

So the game plan is pretty simple: allow 40 plus shots (just like Jaro like!), wait for Turtle to score a couple and go ahead and book that flight to Pittsburgh.

GO YOU FUCKING HABS, PANTS OR WHATEVER ELSE HELPS!!!!!

* That 1971 analogy before game 4 was totally flawed and doesn't count. If anyone is like Dryden, it's Halak: Jaro has been around a little longer, but he's closer to Dryden's age in '71 and, like Dryden, earned a starters role in a platoon situation down the stretch to get the playoff call. Plus, I was lazy and didn't commit to the premise. Yes, I am nuts - but if I didn't think my actions had some influence on the outcome, what would be the point of being a fanatic?

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