Disgrace on the Montreal Canadiens.
Sure, they’ve been one of many NHL’s hottest groups for the final 5 weeks. And, true, the Buffalo Sabres have been on hearth themselves, particularly on house ice.
However on Wednesday night time, whereas Canadiens gamers had been chowing down on hen wings — or no matter else younger hockey gamers eat in Buffalo the night time earlier than a recreation — the Sabres had been enjoying, and defeating, the Philadelphia Flyers.
On Thursday night time, Montreal ought to have taken benefit of a weary staff enjoying its second recreation in 24 hours. However for the second consecutive recreation, it was the Canadiens who had been victimized within the third interval, permitting two unanswered objectives — one into an empty internet — on this 5-3 loss at KeyBank Heart.
The roles had been reversed 48 hours earlier. It was
Washington that took benefit
of the Canadiens enjoying for the second consecutive night time; a Montreal staff that squandered a two-goal lead within the third interval, ultimately shedding in time beyond regulation.
If the Canadiens are to take the following step of their ascension, these are the video games they will’t afford to lose. As an alternative, within the midst of a three-game highway journey, Montreal solely has one among a potential 4 factors to indicate for its efforts.
Are we fallacious?
One-man wrecking crew:
All Tage Thompson did on this night time was contribute to each Buffalo purpose, scoring three himself — the final into an empty internet — whereas including two assists. He now has 200 profession objectives. It was his ninth profession hat trick. He had three pictures, and scored on every one.
Information you want (Half I):
Canadiens goaltender Jacob Fowler, who misplaced his second consecutive recreation — and third in his final 4 — has been
named to the AHL all-star recreation
, Feb. 11 in Rockford, Sick., though his final recreation for the Laval Rocket was on Dec. 6. There’s little doubt Fowler was glorious for Laval, going 10-5-0 with three shutouts, a 2.09 common and .919 save share. However, we repeat, he hasn’t performed an AHL recreation in additional than 5 weeks. Though the NHL will probably be on a break at the moment for the Winter Olympics, and supplied Fowler stays with the Canadiens, we will’t think about he’ll be permitted to take part.
Information you want (Half II):
Buffalo, which hasn’t made the playoffs in 14 seasons, is now on a 15-2-0 run that included a 10-game profitable streak.
Information you want (Half III):
This was the 302nd assembly between Buffalo and Montreal. That’s the second-highest quantity of video games the Sabres have performed towards a franchise, trailing solely head-to-head conferences towards Boston (322).
Information you want (Half IV):
Buffalo has struggled towards the Canadiens, profitable for under the third time in 11 video games. The Sabres had been 0-4-1 whereas being outscored 25-13.
Nice moments in scheduling:
This was the primary of three conferences in 17 days between these groups. And we’re not being sarcastic, for as soon as. Two younger, thrilling and fast-skating groups which might be beginning to hate one another. We look ahead to the following two confrontations.
No assist required:
Cole Caufield opened the scoring barely three minutes into the sport, changing his personal rebound.
Momentum … schmomentum:
The lead lasted all of 54 seconds.
Subsequent time, keep out of the field (Half I):
Buffalo scored twice on the ability play within the first interval. The Sabres additionally scored twice with the man-advantage towards Philadelphia. Two nights earlier, the Canadiens efficiently killed 5 Washington energy performs.
Subsequent time, keep out of the field (Half II):
The Canadiens had three manpower benefits — and scored twice.
It’s about time (Half I):
Ivan Demidov’s opening-period purpose was his first in 10 video games, relationship again to Dec. 28.
Information you want (Half V):
The help
Lane Hutson
drew on the Demidov purpose was the one centesimal of his profession in his 132nd recreation. Solely Sergei Zubov (127 video games) bought there faster.
It’s about time (Half II):
Nick Suzuki hadn’t scored since Jan. 1. That drought ended early within the second interval.
By no means take your eye off the puck:
Oliver Kapanen was minding his personal enterprise on the Canadiens’ bench within the second interval when Zachary Bolduc’s deflection struck him and bloodied his nostril.
Shoot the puck (Half I):
Suzuki had a two-on-one break with Caufield within the interval — and elected to move.
Shoot the puck (Half II):
Within the third interval, and with goalie Colten Ellis badly out of his crease, Kapanen elected to not instantly shoot. As an alternative, he thought it might be a greater concept to deke and go to his backhand. Looking back, it wasn’t such a terrific concept.
How to not play defence:
Hutson was out of place on Thompson’s profitable purpose, making a two-on-one break towards his defence companion, Alexandre Service.
Fast stats:
Caufield had 5 pictures.
Alexandre Texier
, Demidov and Kapanen every had three.
Noah Dobson
and Service every blocked 4 pictures. Arber Xhekaj had six hits regardless of enjoying solely 10:29. Bolduc had 5 hits, whereas Samuel Blais had 4 hits in solely 7:29. Fowler’s save share was .846. The Canadiens gained 58.9 per cent of their faceoffs and outhit Buffalo 26-21.
They stated it:
“I believe it was a terrific recreation,” head coach Martin St. Louis stated in Buffalo. “To observe the expertise on the ice, the sort of hockey that was being performed. We anticipate that from them. That’s staff. I don’t suppose we had been a fringe staff tonight. I assumed we had been very engaged. There’s clearly some errors to right however, total, I felt our intentions had been there. This was a recreation that might have gone both manner.”
“That’s undoubtedly a staff and group that’s going to be round a very long time with all their expertise,” Suzuki instructed the media in Buffalo. “I assumed we had been doing a fairly good job of profitable battles and attempting to get inside. We had a few calls that didn’t go our manner. There have been alternatives for us to attain. We had a few two-on-ones that didn’t go our manner. They’ve realized how to not lose video games. I assumed it was a fairly aggressive recreation”
“We undoubtedly bought their finest tonight,” Hutson stated. “We undoubtedly need to be higher, too.”
hz********@*******ia.com
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