Poor Len again. [Hey! That rhymes! Ed.] Walt is feeling the effects of a large does of novocaine (not the movie) so I can continue my cost-benefit analysis of P.K. Subban, the Montréal Canadiens alleged defenceman.There are still those who think the $9-million-a-year one-time Norris Trophy winner is the best thing since sliced bread -- pumpernickel, that is. They are wrong. Don't listen to them! Listen to me! I have maintained, as recently as last Friday, that Mr. Subban is a net liability.
Since then, les Glorieux have played two games. On Saturday night they vanquished the San Jose Sharks 2-0, thanks largely to the stellar goaltending of Carey Price. (Scroll down or click here for a nice little video of a meeting between Mr. Price and a shy kid from his hometown, Anahim Lake BC.) P.K. played well enough -- stayed out of the penalty box and didn't go nuts in the Sharks' zone.
However... last night in Nashville, Marc Bergevin's Great Non-White Hope reverted to form. Subban -- for it was he -- led the team in penalties, taking his first of two at 2:45 of the first period. As Mario Tremblay would say... poor judgment! But that wasn't the killer. Montréal weathered the storm, and Nashville's first goal didn't come until 9:10. Which defencemen should have stopped Matthias Ekholm? Andrei Markov and P.K. Subban.
The Habs scored twice in the second period and hung on to a 2-1 lead until the Preds fluked one at 7:45 of the third. At the end of regulation time, the score was tied 2-2.
In the first minute of the overtime period, Subban treated Nashville fans to an exhibition of his skating and puck control -- "puck-hogging" would be a better term -- doing a couple of laps around the Preds' net, walking the blueline, straight-arming opponents and so on. Did he pass the puck? No. Did he shoot the puck? No. Did he lose the puck? YES!
Gee, Len (I hear you ask), what happened then? Well, when Filip Forsberg took the puck away from P.K. at the Preds' blueline, with no-one between him (Forsberg) and the Montréal net, Subban did that voodoo that he do so well, and tripped him (Forsberg). Result, Nashville power-play, with the game-winning goal being scored 45 seconds later, with P.K. Subban in the penalty box, wearing the goat horns.
What does Dave Stubbs say about this in the Montreal Gazette? The penalty was "not remotely the result of a brain cramp." It was fate! The puck was bouncing! Forsberg accidentally stepped on Subban's stick! Oh, hahahahahahahahaha! Listen to me, Dave! Give up your job writing PR pieces for P.K. You can do a lot better writing for SNL!
Dave Stubbs... Isn't he the one who called Subban "transcendant"? Wonder if he's seen the last couple of games!
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