Washington Capitals 1 – Montreal Canadiens 4, Game Six: The Script

The impossible happened, predictions were broken and the momentum switched sides. The fate of the Montreal Canadiens and the Washington Capitals now rest in game seven, Wednesday night, in D.C. The final chapter of the epic war between David and Goliath.

The final score was 4-1 in favor of Montreal. But the real history of game six was the 24-year-old goaltender from Slovakia named Jaroslav Halak. The Habs’ goalie kept away from his net 53 of the 54 shot taken by the Caps, a dreamed night for any player. Montreal’s fans ended up with their hands sore from applauding No.41 and the rest of the team. Epic, sublime, heroic, you name it!

The party began in the first period with Michael Cammalleri as master of ceremonies. The left winger collected his fourth goal of the postseason with a wrist shot at 7:30 with Montreal on the power play. A perfect shot to finish a play Cammalleri himself created.

No.13 added his fifth to the stats almost two minutes later. A blast right after a faceoff that went through Semyon Varlamov’s glove side. The assist went to P.K. Subban, his first point in his first playoff appearance after being called up from the Hamilton Bulldogs hours early.

From that moment it was all Halak. Save after save, Jaro drained the mojo out of Washington, to the point that Alexander Ovechkin looked like an average player. All efforts were futile for the visiting team against a goalie who looked bigger than ever on the crease.

Maxim Lapierre extended the lead 4:17 into the third period with a perfect slapshot, his first career playoff goal. The center played one of his best games with the Habs’ uniform, even though he went to the box in two occasions for diving, an almost comical sight.

Washington’s only achievement of the night was to avoid the shutout. Eric Fehr tipped in a Mike Green’s slapper with less than five minutes left in regulation, but by that time the Caps had run out of gas. Tomas Plekanec sealed the victory with an empty net and 57 seconds left on the clock. The best team of the league and the eighth seed of the East Conference are now tied, three victories per side.

Now, here’s the game's Script:

The main characters:

The Hero: Jaroslav Halak

From being the guy who allowed seven goals in 27 shots to displaying one of the most amazing performances by a goalie this season. Halak earned the first star of the game by stopping 53 (yes, 53!) shots, including a couple of highlight reel pieces. The Slovak looked sharper than ever, focused throughout 60 minutes and with a confidence not usual in players his age. A show that will be remember for many years. Simply perfect!

The Villain: Alexander Semin

If you collect 84 points throughout the regular season, you’re expected to be an essential piece of your team’s offensive machinery. That’s not the case of Alexander Semin. The left winger still hasn’t found the way out of the slump. At moments he showed heart but still finished the game with a seven under the ‘Shots’ column and a minus two, nothing else.

Semin’s lack of productiveness and the team’s ineffective power play are the top reason why Washington went from being a frightening rival, to a team on the edge of total collapse.

The Sidekid: Michael Cammalleri

The guy is on fire. Cammalleri stepped up, once again, as the Habs’ offensive go-to guy, cashing in two goals last night; first with a perfect wrist shot from the circle and later with his signature one-timer from near the boards.

He showed no trace of selfishness by setting Plekanec’s empty-netter to the detriment of his own Hat-Trick with less than a minute left in regulation. No. 13 has at least one point per game so far in the series, including five goals.

The Extra: Bruce Boudreau

Against a goalie that stood on his head and 21273 roaring fans, Washington’s head coach failed in finding a solution to the puzzle, a creak on the Habs’ defensive wall. His power play unit has scored only once in 30 opportunities, numbers more than depressing if you’re a Caps’ fan.

The questions are starting to raise around the Toronto native, who hasn’t been capable to take his team, one of the most talented of the league, to the promise land.

Key moment in the plot: Caps’ missed 5-on-3 power play

Halfway through the first period, with Montreal ahead 2-0, Washington missed a golden opportunity to bounce back into the game. His power play unit couldn’t profit of a 5-on-3 advantage. The Caps recorded only three shots in that PP. The roar from the Bell Centre magnified the frustration of the visiting team. They continued to bomb Montreal’s net with no luck, refused every time by Halak.

The stat:

Jaroslav Halak has stopped 90 of the last 92 shots he has faced.

The quotes:

"Another day in the office. That's what I would say." – Jaroslav Halak, about his performance.

"We expected and needed him to play a good game, but tonight was one of those superb performances. It'll be on ESPN or TSN Classic tomorrow." – Michael Cammalleri, on Halak’s recital.

"It's only one guy. They just score goals and go back and leave all the pressure for their goalie. He (did) an unbelievable job. What more can you say?" – Alexander Ovechkin.

"We got great looks and we missed chances, but how much is it him and how much is it us missing?" – Bruce Boudreau.

All quotations from NHL.com game recap http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2009030116