The Montreal Canadiens are one of the hottest teams in the NHL. This didn’t seem at all possible in October. Heading into their date with the Dallas Stars Saturday night at the Bell Centre, the Canadiens had nine wins in their last 11 games.
However, it’s always difficult to go back-to-back when the opponent is resting. The Canadiens beat the Capitals in Washington in overtime Friday night, while the Stars were comfortably in their hotel rooms.
It didn’t matter. The Canadiens found their legs as the game continued forcing a shootout before losing 2-1.
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With five minutes left in the second period, it was still scoreless. The Canadiens then got a five-on-three power play for one minute and 27 seconds.
This was the moment they had to seize. They rotated with the man-advantage passing it around. It was clear that they were waiting for the chance to get it to Patrik Laine.
Lane Hutson and Nick Suzuki exchanged passes before finally feeding it to Laine who one-timed a shot into the top corner. It feels like every single goal of Laine’s this season is the same set-up. He gets a feather of a pass on the tape on the left side and he rips it top corner.
Laine has nine goals on the season and every single one of them is a power play goal. It was his first game back after five off because of flu-like symptoms. He showed no ill effects. Laine laid out a hit so ferocious it sounded as if the boards broke, and also the bones of Oskar Back.
The second line was, once again, strong. It’s been one of the keys to this turn around as Kirby Dach finds his better self. Dach is competing at a much higher level. With Laine and Alex Newhook also playing well, the Canadiens are finally competing against the league’s best players when Suzuki isn’t taking care of the assignment.
Hutson shone again. He is dominating games at the age of 20. It’s stunning. Early in the third period, Hutson was in the offensive zone, and he had four Stars chasing him around the ice. He found Josh Anderson for a clean look on the other side. Anderson had two seconds to pick a spot. Jake Oettinger made a strong save on the shot heading for the top corner.
Hutson had a Goals Expected Shot Share of 90 for the first two periods. He had a team high 25:54 of ice time. It was as if he was everywhere. Hutson was the third favourite for the rookie of the year until just recently when some sports books finally moved him to the second favourite behind only Macklin Celebrini.
Hutson leads all rookie scorers as a defenceman. How he is not the favourite to win the Calder Trophy is a complete mystery. Hutson is a minus seven this season in plus/minus, but he has been on the ice for eight empty net goals.
Hutson is solid defensively, and an absolute joy to watch offensively. His only comparable this century in Montreal for excitement is Alex Kovalev and perhaps PK Subban.
After a thrilling overtime when Cole Caufield hit the post, the Stars won it in a shootout. Still, an outstanding effort by the Canadiens, including the losing goalie Montembeault who stopped 34 of 35 shots.
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The Canadiens didn’t have any legs in the first period. They allowed 17 shots to the Capitals for an entire game Friday, but Saturday they allowed that exact amount in the first 20 minutes alone.
It would be easy to find fault with the Canadiens considering the tilt of the ice, but the reality is that the coaching staff will throw the long stretches of Dallas control out the window as a one-off because of a scheduling error.
It’s important when a club is hot for the coaches to not be overdramatic over a bad period, or even a bad game. The Canadiens somehow found their legs to again compete with one of the league’s best.
After such a difficult schedule, it’s time for a day off from the rink, then prepare for Tuesday and yet another road game in Salt Lake City.
The schedule maker has been quite hard on the Canadiens in the last month. They’ve managed so far, but the cross-continent trips are starting to add up. After Utah, it’s Dallas on Thursday before returning home. This after a gruelling cross-continent tour during the holiday season.
At the moment, the Canadiens remain in a playoff spot, but soon some stability is needed, and a home stand. Montreal plays six out of seven at home to conclude January.
They need to make it to that home stand in the playoff mix. It’s an impressive, hard working, organized group right now, so no histrionics here over a shootout loss in the Wilde Goats segment.
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The entire organization is on the upswing this season. The Canadiens are in a playoff spot, while the prospects in Laval are vying for top spot in the North Division in the American Hockey League.
The Rocket humbled the Cleveland Monsters 5-0 on the road Friday with Cayden Primeau getting his second straight win. He has allowed only one goal since his demotion with a .977 save percentage. It’s a case study in confidence. Primeau feels comfortable at the AHL level, but cannot get over the hump at the NHL level.
No one will argue that the shooters aren’t better in the NHL. It is why they are in the world’s best league. However, the disparity is not so great that someone should be demoralized in Montreal but an all-star in Laval. The disparity does not make sense from a hockey perspective, but does from a belief point of view. Primeau simply needs to get over that mental hurdle.
The win Friday lifted the Rocket to a tie for second place in the North behind only the Rochester Americans. The Americans are only three points up, so first place in the division is well within the grasp of a club rejuvenated again as it finds a healthy roster.
There are some surprises this season. Adam Engstrom has taken over as the best defender in Laval from Logan Mailloux. Engstrom has more points than Mailloux and his plus/minus is vastly superior with a plus 10. Mailloux is minus two. Engstrom is left-handed, but he can play extremely effectively on the right side.
At forward, Joshua Roy has the most points and most goals. Roy has 14 goals, but Jared Davidson is right behind him with 13. Davidson continues to be a revelation as he tries to prove that he has the NHL goods in a career where he is always vastly underrated.
The best prospect is Owen Beck. Though slightly behind in points to Roy, it is Beck that plays the most complete game. He is most likely the next to crack the Canadiens roster.
Though the team is playing well, it is difficult to say that anyone is standing out so significantly that an NHL job in the future is a lock. They all need to grow their games, and with Head Coach Pascal Vincent doing such an outstanding job in Laval, they are improving on their weaknesses.