Le Bleu, Blanc et Blanked

Although they came out like a team on fire, the opposition was there to extinguish the attack.

The Montreal Canadiens have skated 120 minutes of straight hockey without being able to get one puck passed Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Michael Leighton.

Yes, you read that correctly, Michael Leighton has shut out the Habs in back to back Eastern Conference Finals playoff games. One-hundred and twenty minutes of straight scoreless hockey.

Where in lies the problem?

During the first period of game two from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA, the Canadiens fired sixteen shots on goal and out-shot the Flyers by ten total at periods end.

For much of the first period the Canadiens controlled the tempo of the game, with offensive zone puck possession and a well played forecheck game.

However, it was 1-0 Flyers as the Habs skated away from the first period trying to find positives from being down.

Nothing.

And with that first period goal by Daniel Briere, it was all the Flyers would need.

Netminder Jaroslav Halak, who was the story and highly favored front runner for the Conn Smythe has been a different goaltender altogether in these first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals.

After stellar performances in the Washington and Pittsburgh series’, he has been unable to duplicate a game similar to those that helped propel his Canadiens into these Conference finals.

However, aside from the first period last night, the Canadiens offense has been unable to break through the gritty defense of the Flyers. And for that matter, unable to squeak anything into the back of the net the Flyers defend.

With this series now shifting homes, heading to Montreal, can the Habs find the game that made their fan base so proud through two grueling seven game series in the initial first two rounds of these 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs?

It comes almost as a must win game three for the Habs.

Home ice with the seventh man, also known as the home crowd, has not been pleasant to home teams throughout most of these playoffs.  For Montreal, the desire and need to be victorious in game three, like stated above, is a must.

The bigger story from last night was special teams.  Or lack there of from Montreal.

The Canadiens were set to go up on the man advantage after a Lukas Krajicek slash was called. However, Scott Gomez was called for hooking with less than one minute burnt on the power play. As the Krajicek call came to a close, the Flyers then shifted to the powerplay where Danny Briere would score what went on to be the game winning goal.

From that point forward, the Flyers powerplay would go two for four on the night, a solid 50% while the Habs went scoreless on all occasions again.

We know the Flyers club has issues with being responsible, and will always provide their opposition with the man advantage.  For a lethal powerplay throughout the regular season, and even some in these playoffs, is it only a matter of time before the Canadiens use the special teams to their advantage?

Game three goes Wednesday night.  Will the real Montreal Canadiens please stand up.