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The Habs were back in action on Friday in the latest edition of the most important game of the year. After four consecutive losses, this rare Friday contest really felt like a must-win for Montreal as the other teams in the race for the final playoff spot were not going to lose their games to help them every night.
Some lineup changes were on the docket as Kaiden Guhle made his return on the ice. However, one question that wasn’t answered is which defender would get scratched as the Habs decided to play with 11 forwards as Joshua Roy watched the game. Unfortunately for the Canadiens, this must-win came in Carolina, one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference and a team that the Habs traditionally struggle against. And those struggles did indeed continue as the Hurricanes largely controlled the play on their way to a 4-1 win.
Habs Lineup
Cole Caufield — Nick Suzuki — Juraj Slafkovsky
— Alex Newhook – Patrik Laine
Josh Anderson – Christian Dvorak– Brendan Gallagher
Emil Heineman – Jake Evans — Joel Armia
Mike Matheson – Alexandre Carrier
Kaiden Guhle — Lane Hutson
Arber Xhekaj – David Savard
Jayden Struble
Samuel Montembeault
10 Thoughts
1) The Habs got on the board 23 seconds into the game which should have been huge considering their recent starts. It was an excellent pinch by Carrier that created the offensive zone possession. Dvorak jumped on the puck, passed it to Gallagher who immediately found Anderson in the slot who buried it past Frederik Andersen for the early lead.
2) But the Hurricanes were quick to answer as they tied the game 41 seconds into the period, so 18 seconds later. A point shot was deflected in front of Montembeault by Guhle. Sebastian Aho was quick to jump on the available rebound and scored five-hole, banking it off a Montreal defender. The other early threat from the home team came with four minutes to play in the period when Dvorak took a roughing penalty. The situation went from bad to worse when Carrier cleared the puck into the netting, setting up a 5-on-3 for 34 seconds. They were not able to capitalize despite controlling most of the period with an 11-4 shot advantage.
3) The Habs got an early man advantage, but the Canes displayed their league-leading penalty kill as the Habs didn’t get a sniff. Carolina challenged aggressively every chance possible, forcing the Canadiens into rushed and missed plays. Montreal would get a second advantage when Brent Burns tripped Matheson in the Carolina zone, a penalty that was justifiably contested by the Hurricanes. The result was the same as the Habs were unable to get anything going.
4) Carolina picked up where they ended the first as they completely dominated the second period. The Habs were completely outclassed as they chased and reacted all over the ice instead of dictating the pace of play. Guhle really struggled in his return to play. However, making a return against the constant forechecking pressure that is the Hurricanes was maybe not the best decision by the team.
5) With seven minutes to play in the second period, the Hurricanes got a man-advantage when the Suzuki line vacated the defensive zone and left Hutson and Matheson on an island in the defensive zone. Matheson did not react well, and Hutson ended up taking a penalty, but I would blame the forwards if I were the coach on that one. On the advantage, Savard blocked at least three plays before he got lost in his coverage. The lost Savard opened a pass to Taylor Hall in the slot who fired a one-timer by Montembeault for the first Carolina lead of the evening.
6) Soon after the power play goal, Xhekaj chased a hit which left Carrier alone to defend a two-on-one where Seth Jarvis found Aho, and it was suddenly 3-1. The Habs were completely hemmed in their zone and could barely even touch the puck for the rest of the period as the shots after two were 19-6 for Carolina.
7) The third period started with a 2-on-1 for the Habs when Newhook opted to shoot. He beat Andersen but just missed the net with a good low shot. The Canadiens were pushing back but were still not making decisions fast enough to really threaten the Carolina zone. They did get five shots in the opening ten minutes to double their total, but it was not very convincing.
8) With ten minutes to play, the Habs suddenly came alive as Suzuki made a nice play in zone entry that opened a lane for Hutson. Hutson’s shot beat Andersen, but Aho saved the puck on the line. Anderson then split the defence but missed the net high on a partial break.
9) Montreal pulled Montembeault with two minutes to play, but the Habs simply didn’t have it once again on this night. Andrei Svechnikov scored into the empty net a minute later to seal the fate of this game.
10) The Habs are currently failing at navigating the highs and lows of the season. Stuck in a low point right now, they have ten games left that include the next two against the Florida Panthers. To have any chance of competing down the stretch when the schedule becomes more favourable, they need to wake up immediately and likely continue to get help around the league. A return from a four-game road with no points might not be a mathematical elimination, but it would significantly hurt their chances to control their own fate down the stretch.
HabsWorld Habs 3 Stars
1st Star – Christian Dvorak
Dvorak was the most consistent forward through the first two periods as the rest of the team was busy watching the puck and reacting to what the Hurricanes were doing. Dvorak created some chances, but the line is a support line and needs multiple chances to bury for a lack of talent. The rest of the team caught up in the third, but Dvorak did it all night long.
Stats: 1 assist, +1, 2 hits, 16:58 T.O.I.
2nd Star – Josh Anderson
Much like his linemate, Anderson was willing his teammates into the fight. He also scored the Habs’ only goal on the night. Anderson remains an overpaid commodity, but he’s been a highly effective third liner this season and that play continued on this night as the line was the only ray of hope through the first 40 minutes of play.
Stats: 1 goal, +1, 1 shot, 15:59 T.O.I.
3rd Star – Alex Newhook
With a revolving door on the left wing and a sleepy giant on the right wing, Newhook did what he could to push the pace and create offensively through his attribute which is his speed. He got through twice to start the third period and really got the team going in that period. His lack of finish and overall vision is likely why he ends up on the team’s third line next year if the team can successfully acquire a legitimate 2C, but his effort in the third was enough to get him named on this night.
Stats: -1, 2 shots, 1 hit, 14:18 T.O.I.
