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The Habs were back in action on Thursday in New Jersey, looking to end their losing streak in the process. They kept it close against a top team in the East but came up short again, falling 5-3.
There was only one lineup change for the Canadiens for this one and it was one they had to make with Oliver Kapanen being sent back to the Swedish league on Thursday. However, instead of Michael Pezzetta rejoining the lineup, it was Lucas Condotta making his season debut, anchoring the fourth line. The rest of the team lined up as follows:
Caufield – Suzuki – Dach
Newhook – Evans – Slafkovsky
Gallagher – Dvorak – Anderson
Heineman – Condotta – Armia
Matheson – Guhle
Hutson – Savard
Xhekaj – Struble
10 Thoughts
1) After blowing the lead late, the Habs didn’t come out with much confidence and they paid for it. On the second shift of the game, Jack Hughes danced around Alex Newhook, creating an advantage in front of the net. Kaiden Guhle left Jesper Bratt to help cover Hughes but Hughes sent a quick feed to Bratt who had what might be his easiest tap-in goal of the season. While they weren’t bad in the opening period overall defensively, this wasn’t a shining moment for them.
2) Neither were their two early power play opportunities. The first unit couldn’t do much with either opportunity and it got to the point where it looked like the focal point of the second wave was trying to set up Emil Heineman. I like Heineman and his shot is a weapon but if he’s the trigger man already on the second unit, this isn’t going to inspire fear in the defence. If that’s the plan, I’d be in favour of moving someone off the top wave to create a bit more balance between the two.
3) Hughes continued to be a problem with speed from a coverage perspective and Montreal paid for it again. He skated in with the puck behind the Canadiens’ net, creating a mini two-on-one on Guhle. Hughes eventually gained some separation while Ondrej Palat slipped out untouched to the slot with Brendan Gallagher trying to double up coverage on Hughes. When he did that, Hughes found Palat with a pass and he made no mistake, beating Samuel Montembeault. This was another one of those coverage issues where the Habs were taking a bit too long to think. Gallagher was right to try to provide support for Guhle to keep it man-on-man but was late doing so. Meanwhile, those behind him were late rotating in coverage, freeing up Palat for the shot.
4) To Montreal’s credit, they played better to start the second. They did a nice job killing off a carryover penalty with Jake Evans getting a decent chance on the penalty kill. A few minutes later, it was that line getting the road side on the board. Jayden Struble intercepted a pass from Jonas Siegenthaler at centre, then sent the puck to Evans. He waited for the right time and then sent a feed to Alex Newhook who squeaked one through Jacob Markstrom.
5) The Habs continued to push for the equalizer with the Christian Dvorak line having some good zone time. However, they weren’t able to capitalize. Meanwhile, Lane Hutson did a terrific job breaking up a New Jersey three-on-one the other way but then the defensive coverage lapses returned. Once again, they were a bit hesitant and failed to track who was behind them. In this case, there were no Habs on the far half of the defensive zone. That was bad news for them but good news for Siegenthaler who took a pass from Erik Haula and beat Montembeault to restore their two-goal advantage. This wasn’t a game where there were a lot of defensive mistakes but the Canadiens paid for the ones they made.
6) The Dvorak line made up for getting scored on before the period ended though. They established a strong cycle and were rewarded for it. Dvorak sent a pass to the slot for Josh Anderson. His shot was stopped but the rebound bounced right to Gallagher who was able to lift it past Markstrom in the final minute. I don’t know how sustainable this run from Gallagher is but he looks the prime version of himself, something we haven’t seen for a few years now.
7) As was the case on the Siegenthaler goal in the second, a squandered chance came back to bite the Habs in the third. Six minutes in, Heineman had a good chance in front but fired it wide. That led to a two-on-one with Bratt finding Hughes who was able to beat Montembeault stick-side. If Montreal was a bit more opportunistic, this game could have had a different outcome.
8) They didn’t give up, at least. A minute and a half later, Newhook went end-to-end, blowing past Haula, drawing a delayed penalty along the way. He didn’t get a great shot off but it hit Dougie Hamilton’s stick and slowly bounced over Markstrom and in for Newhook’s first two-goal game of the year. It’s not too often he’s going to get a chance to go about 100 feet before being touched but his speed is certainly a weapon.
9) The penalty killers were called into action after that with a pair of key kills. That unit has been sharp for a few games now after slipping up for a bit before that. However, even with Montembeault out and the extra attacker on, they couldn’t get much through on Markstrom. They had some zone time but nothing much dangerous. Eventually, Hughes was able to pressure Mike Matheson into a turnover, allowing Bratt to skate in uncontested to seal the win for New Jersey.
10) Seeing the early success of Johnathan Kovacevic this season should provide some insight into why GM Kent Hughes is believed to be looking for veteran help on the back end. With the Habs, he was one of the veterans age-wise. Now in New Jersey, he’s one of the least experienced regulars, giving him a lot more support around him compared to what he had with the Canadiens. The end result has been him finding another gear and being more impactful. This version of Kovacevic is pretty much exactly what the Habs need right now but it’s hard to imagine him having the same level of success with this roster. While there is value in the youth movement, Kovacevic’s play with the Devils is an argument about how even that youth movement could use a bit more in the way of impactful veterans.
HW Habs 3 Stars
1st Star: Alex Newhook – While the goals had a bit of good fortune to them, they certainly seemed to get him playing with more confidence. He won a couple of key draws and looked like a legitimate top-six threat in this game. That’s something we haven’t seen enough of from Newhook this season; here’s hoping this helps get him and the second line going offensively.
Stats: 2 goals, even rating, 3 shots, 2 hits, 3/4 faceoffs, 19:17 TOI
2nd Star: Jake Evans – The stat line doesn’t look overly exciting but he had a solid game at both ends. Offensively, he set up the first Newhook goal and had some good shifts when they tried to play the cycle game. Defensively, he was a key part of the successful penalty kill. Few forwards have exceeded expectations so far this season but Evans continues to be one of them.
Stats: 1 assist, +1 rating, 1 shot, 7/14 faceoffs, 16:12 TOI
3rd Star: Brendan Gallagher – His line was the most consistent offensively. They didn’t generate a ton of chances but the zone time was there and it looked like a trio that could stick together for a bit. Gallagher played with his usual spark and once again scored a goal right at the front of the net. They’ll take games like that from him anytime.
Stats: 1 goal, -1 rating, 1 shot, 1 hit, 14:38 TOI
