Hidden Game: Canadiens can't generate offence against Wild

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We dedicate this version of the Hidden Sport to Alex Auld.

Canadiens followers won’t bear in mind the goaltender. He was no Patrick Roy or Carey Worth. He wasn’t even a Jake Allen or Jeff Hackett for that matter. However Auld was the final Montreal goalie to win a sport in Minnesota, again in March 2011. Unimaginable.

Auld, now 43, performed for eight NHL groups, together with 16 video games with Montreal throughout the 2010-11 season. And he wasn’t half dangerous, all issues thought-about, going 6-2-2 in 16 video games with a 2.64 common and .914 save share. He accomplished his professional profession enjoying in Austria for Pink Bull Salzburg. And, final time we checked, Auld was a broadcaster for a Vancouver radio station, working weekend Canucks video games.

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There with you then. Right here with you now. As a essential a part of the group for over 245 years,The Gazette continues to ship trusted English-language information and protection on points that matter. Subscribe now to obtain:

Limitless on-line entry to our award-winning journalism together with thought-provoking columns by Allison Hanes, Josh Freed and Invoice Brownstein.Alternative to interact with our commenting group and be taught from fellow readers in a moderated discussion board.Limitless on-line entry to the Montreal Gazette and Nationwide Put up, together with the New York Instances Crossword, and 14 extra information websites with one accountSupport native journalists and the subsequent era of journalists.Montreal Gazette ePaper, an digital duplicate of the print version to view on any system, the place you possibly can share and remark..

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And now we return you to our often scheduled programming.

Benjamin Moore could be proud: Sure, there really was a Benjamin Moore, an American producer of paints, stains and different architectural coatings. Why will we convey him up? As a result of Thursday night time’s sport between the Canadiens and Minnesota Wild at Xcel Power Middle was about as thrilling as watching paint dry.

There have been six pictures in whole within the first interval — two by the Canadiens. And each got here from defencemen, Kaiden Guhle and Lane Hutson. It was the kind of interval and sport that screamed out for caffeine.

Information you want (Half I): Circle Jan. 30 in your calendar. The Wild visits the Bell Centre that night time. And you probably have tickets, could we advise StubHub or Ticketmaster. Curl up with an excellent e-book. It’ll be extra entertaining.

Information you want (Half II): These two first-period pictures tied a Canadiens file for the fewest pictures in a interval this season. Final Saturday, at Toronto, Montreal additionally was held to 2 pictures within the opening interval. Might there be a development creating right here?

Information you want (Half III): On Jan. 26, 2006 and once more on Dec. 27, 2002, the Canadiens have been held to 12 pictures in whole, a franchise low. Coincidentally, each video games have been on the street, towards Ottawa. Go determine.

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Issues might at all times be worse: Wild ahead Kirill Kaprizov is taken into account probably the most prolific scorer in franchise historical past. The 27-year-old Russian is on tempo for his fourth consecutive 40-goal season and may eclipse 100 factors for the second time in his profession. However the Canadiens held him to an empty-net purpose and an help. He now has 10 targets and 30 factors this season.

Subsequent time, simply keep house: Minnesota now has a 17-1 file towards the Canadiens of their final 18 video games collectively. That features an eight-game successful streak relationship again to Oct. 20, 2019. That’s the Wild’s longest successful streak towards any opponent and it contains 11 consecutive victories towards the Canadiens. Sheesh.

Information you want (Half IV): Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson has now allowed two or fewer targets in 9 of 12 video games this season. The Swedish native recorded his first shutout this season, blocking 19 pictures, and seventh of his profession on this 3-0 victory.

Information you want (Half V): Regardless of the seven targets scored final Monday, at Buffalo, everyone knows the Canadiens are offensively challenged. Nonetheless, this marked the primary time this season they’ve been shut out. Montreal, nonetheless, has been held to 1 purpose 4 occasions already this season. Extremely, the Canadiens gained a type of video games — the house and season opener, Oct. 9, towards the Maple Leafs.

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With mates like this …: Within the sport’s thirteenth minute, a Brock Faber shot struck Mats Zuccarello within the midsection. He didn’t return. Fellow ahead Joel Eriksson Ek additionally didn’t return for the second interval, leaving the house workforce with solely 10 forwards. And but they nonetheless gained simply.

Hit of the night time: Roughly two minutes later, Arber Xhekaj collided with Yakov Trenin behind the Canadiens’ web. Surprisingly, it was the Montreal defenceman, 6-foot-4 and 240 kilos, who went down. Trenin, in case you’re questioning, is 6-foot-2 and 201 kilos.

It’ll come finally: Hutson nonetheless is in search of his first NHL purpose. Within the ninth minute of the second interval, he got here out from behind the web on one other of his patented solo efforts, and went round Zach Bogosian, solely to be thwarted.

NHL officiating at its best: Within the thirteenth minute of the center interval, Ryan Hartman took Juraj Slafkovsky into Gustavsson. The goalie then pinned Slafkovsky to the ice and simply might have taken a roughing penalty. However no infraction was assessed.

For this reason groups lose: Hutson generated a shot on web with 11:47 remaining within the second interval. Montreal didn’t produce one other shot, from Cole Caufield, till 1:49 remained. The Canadiens are final within the NHL in pictures per sport.

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Subsequent time, decline the penalty: The Canadiens went 0-for-3 on the facility play.

Dumb penalty: Jayden Struble took a double high-sticking minor within the third interval towards Jared Spurgeon. Minnesota scored its second purpose whereas he was off.

Fast stats: Huston was the clubhouse chief, at minus-2. Struble led all Montreal gamers, with three pictures. Defenceman Mike Matheson was on the ice for 28:19.

They stated it: “It’s unlucky that we take a four-minute penalty once we had a numerical benefit,” Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis advised the media post-game in St. Paul, Minn. “It was like a three-on-two that was creating. These are actions that assist the opposite workforce. We nearly killed it.”

“I believe it was an excellent effort,” Matheson stated. “For probably the most half we did an excellent job of not giving them rather a lot. We had some actually good probabilities to attain. We didn’t rating ours and so they scored theirs.”

“I don’t assume we created sufficient,” Slafkovsky stated. “We didn’t execute on the final second. That price us the sport.”

hzurkowsky@postmedia.com

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