Nov 25, 2008 - 8:30 AM
0 shoutsBy Bill Bernardi PA SportsTicker Staff Writer
Ryan O'Byrne always wanted the Bell Centre faithful to chant his name.
Unfortunately for the Montreal Canadiens defenseman, he got his wish on Monday.
O'Byrne was responsible for netting an "own goal" late in the third period and the New York Islanders went on to record a 4-3 victory in a shootout over the Canadiens.
To show its displeasure, the capacity crowd at the Bell Centre derisively chanted his name.
Here's why.
With Montreal nursing a 3-2 lead with 4:47 remaining in the session, goaltender Carey Price skated toward the bench after a delayed penalty.
The puck was played back to O'Byrne, who was being pressured by veteran Doug Weight. The 24-year-old blue-liner mistakenly assumed Price was still in net and attempted to pass the puck to the goaltender. The puck slid into the net as O'Byrne incredulously put his head in his hands.
Weight instantly celebrated and captain Bill Guerin was given credit for the goal since he was the last New York player to touch the puck.
"The puck was kind of chipped off the boards and I went back to get it and play it back to Price and I didn't realize he wasn't in the net. Unfortunate circumstance, (but one needs to) put it all behind you," said O'Byrne, who did not log any ice time after the miscue.
As for the crowd's response, well ...
"I had to face the music, right?" O'Byrne said. "They were chanting my name at the end, the fans, probably not for the right reason. But once again, it happens to everybody and tomorrow's another day."
Fellow blue-liner Josh Gorges quickly came to O'Byrne's defense after the game.
"I just thought to chant his name was tough because I know how he feels and he'd give anything to take it back," Gorges said.
"This is a game of mistakes (and) everybody makes mistakes," captain Saku Koivu said. "Those plays happen to everybody. It's something that I'm sure he'd love to get back, (but) he has to forget that - it's just a play, but it was in a crucial time and was a break for them."
The Islanders took advantage of the "break" and went on to record a shootout victory.
In the bonus format, Islanders netminder Joey MacDonald denied Andrei Kostitsyn and Alex Tanguay, while Richard Park and captain Bill Guerin beat Price with wrist shots to net the Islanders their fifth win in six games.
"We had plenty of chances to win the game and a lot of guys feel worse than (O'Byrne) does for not coming through for the team," left wing Christopher Higgins said.
Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau pointed to his team's sluggish power play - which was 1-for-7 on Monday and 3-for-38 in its last eight games - as one source of his team's troubles on Monday.
"It wasn't Ryan O'Byrne who lost us this game, it was our power play and defense that made us lose," Carbonneau said. "I've used the same 10 guys on the power play all season, but I might go with my fourth line if I want to get a goal."
Now, as far as "own goals" go, perhaps there is none more infamous than Steve Smith in Game Seven of the 1986 NHL Smythe Division finals.
With the game tied at 2-2, the Edmonton Oilers defenseman attempted a pass from behind his own net which caromed off goaltender Grant Fuhr and into the net. The tally, which was credited to Calgary Flames center Perry Berezan, stood up as the series clincher and denied the Oilers of a possible "three-peat".
And, of course, there are others - with various degrees of embarrassment.
"Neil McCammon in St. Louis scored one about 150 feet longer than (O'Byrne's)," Islanders veteran Doug Weight said. "He was behind the net and just ripped it - and I think he would have won the thousand bucks. It was right in the middle of the net.
"And (Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Niclas) Wallin, I think we all saw that one when he turned around and threw it back to his goal, but it happens."
Koivu didn't disagree.
"It happens to everyone," Koivu said. "It happened to me when I was playing in Finland."
Ryan O'Byrne can relate to that.
