After blowing a late lead against the Buffalo Sabres but escaping with a shootout win on Tuesday, the Habs were back in action on Wednesday in the American capital as they faced the Washington Capitals. While the Habs were the better team for most of the night, they skated away with a 5-4 regulation defeat in a game where it felt as though they deserved better.
The Canadiens controlled most of the game and spent much more time in the offensive zone than in the defensive zone. One could look at each Washington goal individually and claim that Jakub Dobes was not to blame on any one of them. However, the big momentum-shifting save continues to elude the young Habs netminder, and when that is compared to how Fowler has played to start the season, it is easy, even if maybe a bit harsh to, state that the Habs losing this game is partly due to the early-season struggles from last Spring’s hero.
Habs Lineup
Cole Caufield — Nick Suzuki — Juraj Slafkovsky
Chris Kreider — Alex Newhook – Josh Anderson
Alexandre Texier – Phillip Danault – Zachary Bolduc
Owen Beck – Jake Evans — Kirby Dach
Lane Hutson – Noah Dobson
Kaiden Guhle — Alexandre Carrier
Arber Xhekaj – Adam Engstrom
Jakub Dobes
Game Points
– The Habs were hands down the better team in the first period as they doubled the time of possession of the Capitals after twenty minutes. This is despite Montreal giving up the only two power plays of the period in what can only be called questionable calls and that allowed the Caps to finish the period ahead in shots. On the first, Caufield collided with the Capital, but the play absolutely opened up for Slafkovsky so I understand why it was called. The second one was a play where both Hutson and Ryan Leonard were guilty of interfering with each other but somehow Hutson was called.
– Twice in the period, the visitors took the lead only to cough it up. The first goal for the Canadiens came off a strong forecheck by Kreider that was complemented by Newhook’s speed to force the Capitals to cough up the puck. Anderson was in the right spot in the slot and able to bury the Newhook pass to open the scoring. The second goal came at the tail end of a crazy good shift by the Danault line, who forced four consecutive turnovers by the Capitals. After many chances, Washington finally got it out of their defensive zone only to get caught changing by Lane Hutson who skated in and used the defender as a screen to score a beauty from the slot.
– The Capitals’ first goal was only three minutes after the opening goal, as Newhook and Anderson were part of the highlights for the wrong reason this time. They both played the puck instead of the body near their own blue line, and the result was Jordan Kyrou making them look foolish as he was able to cut to the center of the zone and rip one through Dobes. The second goal was a power play goal with only seconds left to play in the period as Ivan Miroshnichenko sent a puck toward the net that bounced in off Anderson.
– Washington did a better job of clogging up their own zone and limiting Montreal’s speed at the start of the period, but the Habs got better as the period progressed and ended up with a 13-5 shot advantage. If the Habs’ middle six was lethal in the first period, it was the top six taking the game to the home side in this period.
– Montreal finally got a power play five minutes in, and despite a dangerous-looking advantage, it ended poorly as near the end of it, Tuch got a puck and fired a shot through Dobes. Dobes had been better than his start-of-season in this game, but that Tuch goal was one that the team would like him to stop even if the Tuch shot was a nice one.
– The Habs didn’t get discouraged and despite a strong penalty kill on an Anderson penalty. It was Anderson tying the game with his second of the night, but it was once again Kreider creating the chaos in the offensive zone and Newhook and Anderson capitalizing. Kreider forechecked hard and then Newhook came in and sent a quick pass that Anderson immediately put over Charlie Lindgren to tie the game.
– Mere moments after the Anderson goal, Miroshnichenko hit Slafkovsky hard which sent Slafkovsky into a streaking Tom Wilson. The hit looked dangerous and given Wilson’s history, the Habs reacted. Ultimately, there wasn’t much Wilson could do to avoid that contact and Slafkovsky was back shortly, but on the ensuing scrum, the Canadiens were somehow left shorthanded though they were mad enough to kill the penalty and end the second even despite their large shot advantage.
– The first half of the third period was a chess match as the Habs cycled in the Washington zone while the Capitals did a rather excellent job of keeping the Canadiens to the outside and away from Lindgren. So much so that the shots were just 3-3 after ten minutes of play. The Caps started the second half of the period strong as Guhle broke a stick and the Habs’ top line was hemmed in their zone for a minute. Montreal survived the shift, but it was the oxygen the home side needed as the next shift was a point shot from Justin Holl as Dobes anticipated a tip that never came to give the Caps the lead.
– Tuch made it 5-3 with three minutes to play after Carrier lost two straight puck battles down low that allowed Tuch to skate into the slot. Bolduc did a decent job of covering him and limiting him to what should have been a low-percentage shot. Unfortunately for the Habs, the low-percentage shot beat Dobes.
– Montreal got one back as Suzuki rifled home a laser a minute later on the power play with Kreider screening Lindgren to make for an exciting finish. Despite some late-game anxious moments and a big push by the Habs, they weren’t able to complete the comeback on this night as the Capitals held on for a 5-4 win.
HabsWorld Habs 3 Stars
1st Star – Josh Anderson
Author of his third and fourth goals of the year, Anderson has appeared in playoff form to start this season. Some instant chemistry with Newhook and Kreider has been a huge boost for the Habs as all three get to play a very linear style that has complemented the top lines’ preference for lateral passing through zones. Anderson has been so successful on this second line that there might be some question marks about where Ivan Demidov will line up upon his return. However, there is still plenty of time for this trio to cool off before Martin St. Louis really has to worry about that.
Stats: 2 goals, +2, 3 shots, 1 hit, 13:49 T.O.I.
2nd Star – Chris Kreider
Kreider has been as advertised, as he has forechecked well and been a constant threat around the opposition’s net. That was still the case on this night, as his forecheck created the two Anderson goals.
Stats: no points, +1, 1 shot, 1 hit, 15:31 T.O.I.
3rd Star – Alex Newhook
The pivot on the trio gets the nod as the third star as he constantly uses his speed to support his two big linemates. On this night, he was also the man with the vision as he found Anderson twice on nice passes that gave his team a chance to win. Unfortunately for him, his great chance to score with two minutes to play went off the post but still a good effort by him on this night.
Stats: 2 assists, +1, 3 shots, 15:52 T.O.I.