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After the embarrassment of the blown two-goal lead in the 5-2 loss to Nashville, how would the team play this time? Jayden Struble had left with the Predators, but Martin St-Louis still dressed seven defencemen with the return of Kaiden Guhle. Jacob Fowler got a second start in the row, and Florian Xhekaj would have to watch this one from the press box as he deals with an undisclosed injury.

After the excitement of a (premature) early goal celebration, the game turned into a goaltending duel: 30 shots and about three expected goals by each team, with not an actual goal to show for all of that. And that was followed by five scoreless rounds of the shootout. Zachary Bolduc scored that goal, but clearly, Fowler and Daniil Tarasov were the two stars of the game, with Fowler finally winning the duel as he saved Nate Danielson’s shot after Bolduc’s scoring effort.

Starting Lines

Slafkovsky – Suzuki – Caufield
Kreider – Newhook – Anderson
Texier – Danault – Bolduc
Evans – Dach

Hutson – Carrier
Matheson – Dobson
Guhle – Xhekaj
Engstrom

Fowler
Dobes

Game Points

1) Mike Matheson and Noah Dobson started the game with a couple of nice defensive plays to foil early Detroit attacks, the latter with a nice clean stick check on a Michael Rasmussen breakaway. And then it was time for Mr Saturday night, as Cole Caufield snapped a puck behind Daniil Tarasov to open the scoring…or did he? Did the puck actually go in? Tarasov thought it dropped behind him, but where was it? It might or might not have been across the goal line, but it appears that no one could confirm it on the video, so, after a lengthy review, the score was reset to zero-zero.

2) The Habs had a 9-2 edge in shots by the 13-minute mark in the period, when things went (at least somewhat) sideways, as Kirby Dach was called for hooking Dylan Larkin, setting up a Detroit power play. The new-look Montreal penalty kill was fairly effective in keeping the Red Wings’ shots to the outside, but less so in clearing the puck. With 24 seconds to go, Jake Evans made a desperate clearing attempt, which indeed cleared not only the zone but also the glass. The bleu blanc et rouge managed the five-on-three segment well, but the remainder of the Evans penalty required more solid saves from Jacob Fowler. In all, Detroit added five shots to their earlier two during the two penalties, including their first real scoring opportunities.

3) The home team had a solid edge in five-on-five play, but the self-inflicted opportunities during the penalty kills nearly did them in. Discipline and simple plays are what St-Louis preaches, and that really is the key in avoiding traps like the extended first-period penalty kill.

4) Speaking of discipline, how is bending over and grabbing hold of an opponent’s stick ever a good idea? It is as obvious a penalty as any, and surely will not garner any favours from the coach. And yet that’s exactly what Zachary Bolduc did five minutes into the second, trying to break into an attack, just outside the Montreal blue line.

5) Two more decent Detroit shots on the ensuing power play, but then the penalty killing unit was able to keep clearing the zone. Better, Newhook and Evans broke into a shorthanded two-on-one as the penalty was about to expire, with the just-released Bolduc trailing. Newhook dropped a pass to Bolduc, who lifted it over Tarasov’s glove. However, Evans had ended his rush in the blue ice, and the butt end of the goaltender’s stick just touched him. Goaltender interference, then, and no goal on this one, either.

6) The Canadiens got their second power play opportunity at the midway point of the game when Anton Johansson was sent off for holding Alexandre Texier in the Detroit zone. There was good movement and crisp passing, but Tarasov appeared to have little trouble getting his big body in front of the three shots sent toward his net.

7) Larkin apparently didn’t enjoy the five-on-five play, as he left for the penalty box less than a minute after the Johansson penalty, having tripped Kaiden Guhle. However, the story was much the same as on the previous attempt. Full style points to the PP1 unit as they skated and passed all around the Detroit defence and goal. Six shot attempts, but only one even reached Tarasov. The power play was exciting to look at, but the scoring opportunities weren’t as good as on the first-period Detroit power plays–and neither team managed to score on those.

8) Juraj Slafkovsky dropped a nice pass to Adam Engstrom on a late-period rush, but Tarasov caught that one, too. And, had he scored, it would have likely been called back anyway, as Caufield was a step ahead of the play as they crossed the Detroit blue line.

9) Another undisciplined penalty wrapped up the second period, as Texier got his stick around Axel Sandin-Pellikka. Two shots, two Fowler saves, but this is not how you win games.

10) More possession, more passing, but few actual shots–and Tarasov was matching Fowler save for save, meaning extra time was needed. Then, it looked like Texier had finally clinched a Montreal victory at 2:37 when he scored on a two-on-one rush in overtime, but the league-initiated review for offside yielded a third Habs non-goal of the evening. In the end, the goal drought continued past overtime and through five rounds of the shootout, as Fowler and Tarasov stopped everything thrown at them. The only (allowed) goal in the entire affair was Bolduc’s shot on Tarasov in the sixth round of the shootout, which secured two points for the home team.

HW Habs Three Stars

First Star: Jacob Fowler (30 shots, 30 saves, 1.000 save percentage, 3.56 GSAx) was stellar, blanking the Red Wings through regulation, overtime, and six rounds of the shootout. He finally clinched the win for the bleu, blanc et rouge with that final shootout save, after Tarasov had conceded a goal to Bolduc. An outstanding performance by the rookie goaltender, a much stronger effort than his first outing, and a strong claim to a longer-term spot on the Habs.

Second Star: Zachary Bolduc (0g, 0a, 3 shots, 15:48 TOI) took a foolish penalty and had a goal called back, but all was forgiven when his shot finally beat Tarasov in the sixth round of the shootout. A solid game for the Texier-Danault-Bolduc line overall, and Bolduc in particular.

Third Star: Adam Engstrom (0g, 0a, 1 shot, 6:54 TOI) didn’t get much ice time (nor did his defensive partner, Arber Xhekaj) as St-Louis rotated the other five defencemen, all of whom saw more than 15 minutes of ice time. However, in addition to his scoring chance, the Swedish rookie played a solid, simple game, not allowing any significant scoring chances. He looked like he belonged in the bleu, blanc et rouge, and that’s exactly what the team needs from a rookie defenceman.