9:28 PM ET: Game over, 2-1 Canadians.  Great game in an exciting standpoint, but this Devils team is still not where it should be.  I’m incredibly annoyed right now, so I’m going to drink this game off.  Goodnight everyone!

9:26 PM ET: 11.5 seconds left. Elias and Komisarek off for coincidental minors, which is crap seeing as Elias didn’t punch someone in the back of the head that I saw. Sigh. Timeout Devils.

9:24 PM ET: One minute left and the Devils finally put it in the Montreal zone. Good keep into the zone by Oduya, Gio with a shot held by Price and a scrum in front ensues with some guy punching Langs in the back of the head. C’mon now.

9:22 PM ET: Two minutes left in regulation. This is nuts. C’mon gang, one more goal…

9:21 PM ET: Power play over, only one official shot on goal. Dammit.

9:20 PM ET: Devils with loads of pressure on the power play but can’t get it in.

9:18 PM ET: Devils to the power play on a hook by Komisarek. They need this one. Bad.

9:15 PM ET: DAMMIT! Marty with a good save but one Kostitsyns shoves home a wraparound with Marty still recovering from the first save. 2-1 Canadians, a little more than 5 minutes to play.

9:14 PM ET: 5-on-3 over, one minute to go on the Langs penalty.

9:12 PM ET: Son of a…Devils take another penalty. Because, y’know, we had a chance to win. Can’t have that. 49 seconds of 5-on-3, Langs to the box for a hook.

9:11 PM ET: HOLY MORE AWESOME MARTY SAVES! Makes the stop, then from on his butt makes the glove save on the rebound. This game is out of reach if not for Marty.

9:10 PM ET: Rupp goes away for a cross-check. Markov launches like he was shot with a rocket directly into the Montreal net. Not saying he was diving, just saying.

9:05 PM ET: Up-and-down hockey like all kinds of crazy right now. But not really crazy, just sorta crazy. Scoring chances both nothing dangerous for either team.

9:00 PM ET: Brookbank is no longer On Notice. He’s played pretty well since the first period ended. I approve. Because I know he was looking for my approval.

8:53 PM ET: HOLY AWESOME MARTY SAVES! FOUR shots on two rushes and four STELLAR stops by Marty. Man Marty’s awesome, no?

8:52 PM ET: We be back. Sal’s out of the box, Pando with a nice chance early in the period.

8:34 PM ET: Salvador still has 20 seconds left on hid penalty as the second period comes to a close. 1-1 ain’t bad gang. See ya in seventeen.

8:32 PM ET: Salvador heads to the box and the Devils are back to the PK. Gulp.

8:28 PM ET: I have seen no fewer than three Devils fall flat on their face with no one around in the last five minutes. You’d think they’d be used to playing on crappy ice by now.

8:25 PM ET: HOLY HELL WE SCORED! Gionta slams home a rebound on his backhand, on a puck that seemed to sit in the crease for at least a few days. But hey, a goal’s a goal! 1-1 game.

8:24 PM ET: Oh come on now. Devils give up an odd-man rush shorthanded and Parise is forced to take a penalty. End glorious power play opportunity.

8:22 PM ET: Hey hey, a Devil’s power play (hee, that rhymed too!). Higgins off for slashing.

8:20 PM ET: Any shreds of awesomeness (and there weren’t many in the first place) that may have been out there was sucked from the room for the Devils when Montreal scored. Dammit.

8:11 PM ET: Crap. Canadians pound home a rebound on a nice save by Marty. And for putting the Devs at a disadvantage to the best power play team in the league, Mike Mottau is now Dead To Me. 1-0 Les Habs. Streit with the goal.

8:10 PM ET: What’s worse than telegraphing a shot on a breakaway? Easy, faking said shot then not taking one at all. I’m mad at you, Patrik Elias.

8:09 PM ET: Mike Mottau off for hooking. He joins Sheldon Brookbank on the On Notice list.

8:08 PM ET: Oooo, Salvador on the receiving end of a nice hit. I don’t like as much.

8:07 PM ET: Oooo, Salvador with a nice hit. I like.

8:05 PM ET: Larry Robinson did not make the trip to Montreal due to illness. Johnny Mac is the only assistant coach out there. Shame, this game would have been Larry’s first in Montreal since his number was retired.

8:02 PM ET: Welp, we’re back for period 2. Devils haven’t scored a goal in 110 minutes, but I’m feeling lucky now! I guess.

7:45 PM ET: Period 1 in the books, Devils outshoot Montreal 13-8. Score is still 0-0, but the boys look far better than they have in two or three games. See ya in a few for period #2 (hee, that rhymed).

7:42 PM ET: Offensive pressure can be fun! Sometimes we get shots on goal, and sometimes – if you try really, really hard – shots on goal can become actual GOALS. If they keep this up, goals may occur. Keep it up kids.

7:41 PM ET: Carey Price with a beautiful pass directly to Brian Gionta. Gio blasts the puck right back into Price’s chest, though. Sigh.

7:39 PM ET: …orrrr maybe it was just a really slow line change.

7:38 PM ET: Apparently Sutter’s new lines aren’t permanent, as Zubrus is skating with Pando and Madden now.

7:37 PM ET: Not a whole lot going on. A couple of chances on either end but nothing to write home about, really.

7:35 PM ET: The wonky lines are making it so we’re actually truly rolling four lines for a change! I’m going to withhold judgment until the end, but I think I could get used to that.

7:31 PM ET: Y’all should be very pleased I’m capping tonight, you could be looking at that Ryan Seacrest/Stanley Cup picture right now. But you’re not, because I love the 2MA readers, and don’t want to destroy retinas.

7:25 PM ET: Brookbank is On Notice. No giving the puck away in the defensive zone dammit. That’s just not right.

7:22 PM ET: All Canadians early. They’re throwing everything at the net. We’re…not doing that as much. Penalty to Mottau is up, by the way.

7:19 PM ET: Mottau trips Latendresse on a semi-breakaway and heads to the box. Kind of lucky it wasn’t a penalty shot, though both Mottau and White where there. That’s not how you play defense, guys.

7:18 PM ET: Every time the Devs are in the offensive zone, I’m distracted by the large advertisement for Viagra behind the Montreal net.

7:16 PM ET: Clarkson wraparound try alert! Nothing doing in terms of puck meeting net, however.

7:15 PM ET: …aaaand wonky line number four: Parise/Zajac/Clarkson. Interesting indeed.

7:15 PM ET: Wonky line three: Pandolfo/Madden/Gionta.

7:14 PM ET: Ottawa won earlier, so they and the Devs are tied atop the East, with Montreal a game back. So this game effectively is for first in the Conference. For now.

7:12 PM ET: Wonky line number two: Langenbrunner/Elias/Brylin. Hoooo boy.

7:10 PM ET: Asham/Rupp/Zubrus to start. Sutter says “we might be surprised” with some of the line combinations. And that’s coming from BRENT SUTTER. I expect some wonkiness to occur.

7:09 PM ET: Defensive changes: Andy Greene is out, Karel Rachunek is in. Paul Martin is out due to “general soreness,” Sheldon Brookbank is in to play with Johnny Oduya. I think Dano just said something about Zubrus on the fourth line (?!), I’ll research and get back to you.

7:04 PM ET: Patty’s in Montreal to check out this very game, so the silly pictures will be non-existant this evening. Apologies in advance. But I promise to make up for it with crazy wordplay and ridiculous rants! Pictures are overrated, words are where it’s at.

7:01 PM ET: Devils are in Montrizzle, I’m in Jersizzle, livecizzle coming up …izzle!

Related News Headlines

• No Related Post

Latest 2MA News

• Thoughts (finally) from Section 209: Devils/Rangers, March 10, 2010!
• (GUEST HOST COLUMN!) Delaying The Game: A U.K. Perspective
• Thoughts from Sun Tavern (yes i do have a home :p): Devils at Flames: 3/5/2010
• Hey Look!!!! We gots us a Devils game!!!!
• Thoughts (again) from Sun Tavern, NJ: USA vs Canada..where are YOUR Gold Medals?
• Thoughts from snowed in Roselle Park: USA vs Finland, Olympic Semi-Finals!