The Montreal Canadiens looked to bounce back Thursday night after their historic collapse against the Winnipeg Jets. They lined up against the red-hot – or perhaps dry ice-hot – Utah Mammoth. The Habs captain, Nick Suzuki, returned from his six-game absence since blocking a shot with his hand. Jakub Dobes got the start after sitting for a few games himself while the Habs rode Fowler to their win streak.
Montreal held their Military’s Appreciation night and their sticktoitiveness was certainly appreciated by the fans in attendance. How about those Canadiens camouflage hats?! The stirring anthem performance seemed to also stir the Mammoth early, as two quick goals and sloppy Canadiens coverage started the deficit that led to more goals needing to be overcome during the 60 minutes than necessary. The Habs skated with the lightning-quick Utah squad, white and red jerseys zipping back and forth as scores of minor penalties were called. Montreal would eventually force overtime as Utah scored three go-ahead goals in three periods, then their ultimate closer struck home. Cole Caufield ended the game with a wrist shot that left Sebastian Cossa scrabble-faced, confused as to how he was beaten to the far side so close in.
Habs Lineup
Cole Caufield — Nick Suzuki — Juraj Slafkovsky
Chris Kreider – Jake Evans — Josh Anderson
Zachary Bolduc – Phillip Danault – Alexandre Texier
Alex Newhook – Oliver Kapanen – Kirby Dach
Kaiden Guhle – Alexandre Texier
Lane Hutson — Noah Dobson
Adam Engstrom – Arber Xhekaj
Jakub Dobes
Game Points
– Less than two minutes into the game, as both teams had their first possessions, Logan Cooley brutalized Adam Engstrom for every scout in the building to see. The play developed from behind Utah’s net, Nate Schmidt calmly carrying the puck to his own blueline, then sending a lead pass to Cooley at the Habs’ blue. Cooley outmuscled Engstrom and gained body position before holding the pass wide to Dobes, stretching him out of the play.
– Suzuki’s returning presence was immediately apparent as his line got their first chance at a forecheck and were able to strip the puck twice on sloppy outlets by the Mammoth, but Suzuki’s handcuffed and off target one-timer was all they were able to eventually produce. Lane Hutson was gifted a spectacular pass and breakaway chance by Suzuki and made as many stickhandles as Patrick Kane would in the shootout. Sebastian Cossa had his lined up with his stick and just was able to deflect the puck and ruin Montreal’s hopes for a quick answer. Moments later, it was Dobes who needed to be perfect as Cooley drove the net once more and nearly tucked it around the far side of the net. Dobes stayed with him and sprawled to make the save as Cooley went into the boards behind the net.
– The game’s first penalty was drawn by Dmitriy Simashev on Josh Anderson when the winger, who took explicit blame and responsibility on Tuesday following the loss, tripped him and sent the Habs to the penalty kill. Anderson and Simashev’s feet clipped and the Utah skater ended up on his knees, obviously the fault of the home team. Jake Evans won the initial faceoff and earned the first clear, but seconds later the puck was in the back of the net. Cooley scored his second as the Mammoth simply outsmarted the Canadiens’ scheme by dropping the puck back, then firing another leading pass to the winger coming into the slot. Cooley was alone in the Habs zone and sent his shot along the ice, splitting the wickets of Dobes to leave him scrabbling.
– The captain brought the fans to life when he got his sixth goal of the season and Montreal back into the game during the first period. Assisted by Noah Dobson and facilitated by Juraj Slafkovsky, Suzuki was posted at the far post and was fed a perfect pass by his Slovakian winger after Slafkovsky won his battle below the goal line, then curled outside to the middle of the ice.
– Arber Xhekaj evened the game a few minutes later with a rocket from the point. Montreal’s initial two-on-one shot by Oliver Kapanen was blockered away but the Habs retrieved the rebound and his line began their cycle, Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach traded places before Dach sent the final pass back to the point for Xhekaj.
– Texier was rung up for another petulant penalty for holding the stick. He had just gotten the puck knocked off his stick as Montreal attempted a two-on-one, and his chase-down of Barrett Hayton involved more grabbing and pawing than boxing out. The Canadiens escaped more chances against as the period came to a close, a tumultuous 20 minutes for all involved.
– Nearly a minute and a half of power play time for Utah resulted in numerous chances, but the Canadiens held firm. Dobes had to bail out Hutson 30 seconds later as he gave the puck away behind his own net, then did it again on his next shift. The diminutive defenceman brought out his dancing shoes on his following shift, the puck in the offensive zone instead. A spin-o-rama at the blue line elicited oohs from the crowd before Hutson’s shot hit Cossa’s mask and was held for a faceoff.
– Chris Kreider was called for tripping Simashev behind the net when he tapped the Utah player’s shin pad. Simashev lost an edge as he turned, and the NHL officiating standards were adhered to perfectly: make the worst call on the ice. Almost a continuous two minutes of power play time were spent in the Habs zone by Utah as they buzzed the perimeter of the defensive coverage, and Dobes made a massive save with 12 seconds left. Unfortunately, that save left the puck bouncing, and Kaiden Guhle lifted it out like a construction crane and was sent to the box for delaying the game. 10 minutes through the middle frame and the Habs continued to fight, electing to trade stretch chances with Utah on the penalty kill, and Cooley got his hat trick goal just as the penalty was about to expire. Too much, for too long.
– Andrew Peeke was sent to the box with about eight minutes left for holding the stick of Texier himself, and while Montreal’s power play units appreciated the return of Suzuki – and his seeming shoot-first mentality – they were unable to break through Cossa. Texier would then get the fans on their feet not long after with a spin-o-rama ala Sidney Crosby’s wondrous backhand goal from a decade ago. Montreal would go back on the power play again as Dach took a shot up high behind the play. Their best chances came from the stick of Slafkovsky along the wall and Zach Bolduc from the bumper. A third penalty called against the Mammoth was caused by another delay of game from a won faceoff to Cossa’s left. Mikhail Sergachev’s chip shot gave Montreal about 30 seconds to work with before the second period expired, but they couldn’t add an equalizer before the horn sounded.
– Caufield and Kevin Stenlund were both called seconds into the third period as the Canadiens continued their man advantage. Caufield for interference, Stenlund for embellishing Caufield’s contact, akin to what fans saw during the World Cup. Embellishment is an embarrassing call for any hockey player, and that footage is not one the player will live down soon. Bolduc and Dach took the places of Caufield and Demidov, and it would be Dach who made the most of his elevation during the power play.
– As the Habs controlled play in Utah’s zone, Suzuki held the point with Hutson and exchanged passes with Dach along the wall. Suzuki then carried down that wall before shooting a pass across the seam to Bolduc at the far post. Bolduc couldn’t immediately deflect the puck into the net, but his shot drifted into the crease and Dach was able to tuck it at the other post behind Cossa.
– More special teams play took place when Slafkovsky took his daily penalty by letting his stick check ride into the face of Sergachev. Montreal would give up another power play goal off the stick of Nick Schmaltz, another broken Guhle stick giving the Mammoth all the time and space needed in a triangle right in front of Dobes. A quick pass from Cooley for his fourth point of the night, then the Mammoth’s fourth goal to take the lead.
– Montreal’s third power play of the game was drawn by Xhekaj and the infraction was committed by his dance partner from the first period, Liam O’Brien. Slafkovsky won the faceoff for Suzuki but his stick was snapped, and the Canadiens had to play the periphery until Slafkovsky could come back into the zone for a chance of his own, his coverage forgotten by the Mammoth. The top unit buzzed around the net and almost closed, building momentum for Engstrom’s soon-following tying goal.
– The scoring play started from the breakout facilitated up the middle of the ice, Evans carrying through the middle alongside Dach and further parallel with Anderson. Anderson curled to the high slot, Evans to the wall, and Dach drove the front of the net. Behind the play, Dobson changed for Engstrom and the rookie defenceman skated downhill to the offensive zone. Evans spied him and gave the puck back to the point as he curled, Engstrom then walked to the middle of the ice and fired through Dach’s coverage for his first NHL tuck.
– Newhook and Stenlund (returned from the dark room) were given opposing minors for roughing each other following their faceoff. Neither team made meaningful rushes during the rest of the 1:43 of the period, and five-on-five transitioned to four-on-four, and when the buzzer sounded, three-on-three.
– Overtime!
– Montreal scores early in overtimes, or not at all, it seems, as it took Caufield exactly 30 seconds to beat Cossa and redeem some of Tuesday’s toxic lingering energy. Hutson had recovered Utah’s initial broken-up chance, cleared the puck up to Suzuki and Suzuki had to chase down his missed pass to Caufield at his own blue line. Caufield curled up ice, and Suzuki saw the chance to backhand the puck behind himself and onto Caufield’s stick, whose pace Hutson matched coming up from the defensive zone. Caufield held, faked his slap shot, then sent a bullet past Cossa’s blocker to the far side, nobody in the building thinking he still had room or an angle to thread it in. Victory in Montreal for the home team, and another critical two points banked.
HabsWorld Habs 3 Stars
1st Star – Nick Suzuki
Without Suzuki, this game is not won. On both ends of the ice, he is tangential to Montreal’s game plan and once more demonstrated the essential nature of his steadying hand on the team’s emotional meter. Brendan Gallagher once was the conductor, but now it is evident that Nick Suzuki leads this team in a cultural aspect as well as wearing the ‘C’? Who would have spoken up and to the team last Tuesday night? Caufield, Matheson, Anderson, Evans? With so many new faces, who would the message work on rather than be grating after such a loss? No, only Suzuki is that voice in the room, especially in November.
Stats: 1 goal; 2 assists; +2; 4 shots; 2 hits; 20:04 T.O.I
2nd Star – Cole Caufield
Who else? Copy and paste. Cole Caufield shoots, Cole Caufield scores. It’s what he does. Tonight, he continued to also add to the vinegar his game has presented itself with since he won the Lady Byng for gentlemanly play. His play and evident animated conversations on the ice certainly do not appear particularly gentlemanly, Thursday being no exception.
Stats: 1 goal; +2; 6 shots; 1 block; 1 hit; 18:25 T.O.I
3rd Star – Kirby Dach
Although Hutson’s game surely recovered after the entire team’s sleepy start, Dach’s goal was instrumental and therefore edged him into the third star slot. He played his size in an admirable and slightly mournful way, showing fans and his team what it could have been like for the last three years in another universe. Grit towards the net, highly skilled plays in open ice with the puck and excellent vision; if only for 40 games a season rather than four.
Stats: 1 goal; 1 assist; +2; 2 shots; 1 hit; 11:28 T.O.I