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After a very quiet trade deadline that left Habs fans a bit divided on the inaction of the front office, Montreal took to the ice to face a team that shed Ryan Strome after acquiring John Carlson in this year’s biggest deadline surprise. On the ice, the Ducks and Habs matched up as two up-and-coming teams which made for a promising late Friday night match.

The Ducks were the better team for most of this game as the Canadiens were sloppy and a little selfish all over the ice. Instead of completing the team play and being patient, many of their players tried to force plays in areas that Anaheim had scouted and were easily shutting down. The less-than-stellar goaltending did not help matters in the early goings of this contest. The Habs finally managed to mount yet another comeback before blowing another last-minute lead. The visitors dominated the overtime but were not able to get away from a shootout loss by a 6-5 score. 

Habs Lineup

Cole Caufield — Nick Suzuki — Juraj Slafkovsky
Alex Newhook— Oliver Kapanen — Ivan Demidov
Zach Bolduc – Jake Evans – Kirby Dach
Josh Anderson – Phillip Danault — Brendan Gallagher

Lane Hutson – Noah Dobson
Mike Matheson — Kaiden Guhle
Arber Xhekaj – Alexandre Carrier

Samuel Montembeault 

10 Thoughts

1) The game was not even five minutes old and already four goals had been scored. The first goal was waved off for offside, but the Ducks kept coming as they scored one that counted only 39 seconds in, as a bad pinch by Matheson left Guhle alone to defend a 3-on-1 with a rather poor effort by Demidov to get back into the play. Anaheim continued to be unlucky as they fell behind 2-1 despite getting a power play. The Ducks finally tied the score to start the second half of the period when a point shot from Radko Gudas found its way through everyone, including the Habs netminder. Final tally for the period was a 12-4 shot advantage but a 2-2 score. 

2) The Habs wasted little time in pushing back. With only 1:01 expired on the clock, a hard Slafkovsky forecheck opened the door to extend an offensive zone possession as Caufield found Suzuki to even the score. Hutson gave the Habs a lead two-and-a-half minutes later when he attacked the middle of the ice on the Habs’ only power play of the period and had his shot deflect off a Duck defender to get by Lukas Dostal. The Habs definitely wanted to come out stronger after the first period. 

3) The first period mirrored Montembeault’s season as a whole. A terrible start to the game as the first two shots went in. Montembeault settled down and made some excellent stops on the only Ducks’ power play of the period. He saw the Habs get back in the game, only to let in a brutal shot from the point get by him that never should have been a goal. One step forward, two steps back it seems for Montembeault all season long. 

4) The first half of the second period was defined by missed opportunities as the Habs got two power plays. The first saw the top unit play rather disorganized while still managing to create off the rush. That unit was better their second time around but remained a group that needs to shoot an awful lot more. The second unit only really got on the ice on the first man advantage, and they were able to get some good shots from the bumper position. 

5) The second half got physical in a hurry as the Ducks decided to throw their weight around before Anderson tried to retaliate but took an interference penalty for a late hit on Gudas. Seconds later, Anaheim had the lead as Montreal’s penalty kill was far too passive and Jackson Lacombe wired home a shot through Montembeault who was buried deep in his net. The shift that followed the goal saw Hutson deliver a magical pass to Demidov, sending the latter on a breakaway that was stopped by Dostal. Dostal continued to be a key contributor as the Habs had a late-period push, but the Ducks were able to maintain their lead despite the better period for the Canadiens. It was a 3-2 lead and 25-18 shot advantage for Anaheim heading to the third period. 

6) 35 seconds into the third, the Ducks extended their lead when Caufield was guilty of trying to do too much with the puck. Instead, it became a turnover with the Ducks taking full advantage of the ensuing 2-on-1 as Leo Carlsson buried a Chris Kreider pass. Montreal continued to play a rather individual style with little success with too few shots when the individual play did work and the Habs got a look. 

7) The Canadiens got back in the game when Suzuki won an offensive zone faceoff and Hutson and Dobson completed a fancy cross-over play at the blue line. The play created space for Dobson, who was able to find a seam and feed Caufield who scored his 36th goal of the season. Yet another comeback started for the Habs. 

8) With a little more than eight minutes to play, a strong forecheck by Bolduc and Evans created some possession in the offensive zone. A bobbled puck ended up on Carrier’s stick, and he put one to the net that had eyes as the game was suddenly tied despite Anaheim’s 31-21 shot lead. A minute later, it was the same as their third goal. Suzuki won an offensive zone faceoff, then there was a pass from Hutson to Dobson. This time, Dobson shot, and Caufield redirected for the Habs to take the lead. 

9) Montreal was picture-perfect in defending this lead. They had three minutes in the offensive zone and then the Ducks pulled Dostal with two minutes to play. The Habs were in an excellent position and appeared poised to skate away with a rare regulation win. Instead, another point shot from the Ducks found its way to the back of the net. This time, it was tipped by Kreider next to the net, but that doesn’t change the real outlook that Montembeault simply doesn’t challenge these point shots nearly enough. 

10) The Habs were all over the Ducks in overtime, but Dostal was stellar in stopping both Demidov and Slafkovsky early. Just about the second time the Ducks even touched the puck in overtime was with under two minutes to play. Olen Zellweger got caught with his stick in Hutson’s skates which sent the Habs to a power play. The 4-on-3 advantage was a bit predictable in trying to find Caufield so the few times they were able to find him, Dostal was all over it.  

In the shootout, Carlsson, Caufield, Beckett Sennecke, Suzuki, Mason MacTavish, and Dach were all stopped as the shootout would need extras. Cutter Gauthier then fooled Montembeault five-hole before Demidov did the same on Dostal. Kreider and Hutson were stopped before Alex Killorn scored. Kapanen couldn’t follow suit and the Ducks finally won the game.  

HabsWorld Habs 3 Stars

1st Star – Lane Hutson 

Hutson was guilty of trying to do too much at times in this game, but his ability to see the offensive opportunity and take it remains unmatched on this team. It wasn’t a point, but his breakout pass to Demidov in the second period is a glaring example of just how special a player this kid is. A long-term pairing with an equally offensively capable Dobson allows Hutson to operate on a next level and it will be interesting to see what they can do down the stretch for this team. 

Stats: 1 goal, 2 assists, +2, 2 shots, 25:51 T.O.I. 

2nd Star – Cole Caufield 

The reunion of the top line went as planned as the line carried the bulk of the team’s offensive chances. They were less than stellar for the first 40 minutes, though, as they were trying to do far too much with the puck in far too risky spots on the ice. In the third, they simplified their game and were immediately rewarded as Caufield scored his two goals to get the Habs what would end up being their last lead of the night. Caufield’s clutch heroics were once again on full display as he tied it up and got the go-ahead goal. If only the Habs could preserve a lead. 

Stats: 2 goals, 1 assist, +2, 4 shots, 19:48 T.O.I. 

3rd Star – Noah Dobson 

It can be frustrating to watch Dobson operate at times because one would think that he could use his size to better defend, and yet his offensive prowess by far overshadows the frustrations that his defensive shortcomings can sometimes present. The lanes that he’s able to find are evident when he’s given the time and space as has been the case recently since the opposition has to consider the ankle-breaking ability of his partner Hutson. 

Stats: 2 assists, +1, 1 hit, 4 shots, 24:56 T.O.I.