Are players-only conferences an answer for what ails a struggling hockey crew? That depends upon whether or not you have a look at the glass being half-full or half-empty.
A lot has been manufactured from the players-only assembly Winnipeg Jets’ captain Adam Lowry known as — with out the data of head coach Scott Arniel — following his crew’s 5-1 loss at Buffalo Monday evening. It was their fifth defeat in six video games and it appears when a crew loses to the Sabres, it has hit rock-bottom.
The Jets have been extra impressed Wednesday evening on the Bell Centre however nonetheless misplaced, 3-2, to the Canadiens in a shootout. The guests nonetheless obtained a loser’s level and got here inside a put up on a Gabriel Vilardi shootout try within the third spherical of extending the sport.
Glass half-full.
However Winnipeg misplaced nonetheless. Glass half-empty.
The Canadiens haven’t precisely been world-beaters of late themselves, however the victory ended a two-game shedding streak.
Information you want (Half I):
The ovation former Canadiens defenceman
Andrei Markov
acquired throughout his pre-game ceremony lasted 2:14. Markov performed 990 video games over 16 seasons for Montreal — not unhealthy for a sixth-round (162nd total) draft selection in 1998. At age 46, he appears to be like match, athletic and will simply be pencilled-in because the crew’s seventh defenceman, in our humble opinion. Okay, eighth on the depth chart as soon as Kaiden Guhle returns from harm.
Our two cents:
Markov’s tribute was televised solely on RDS — not Sportsnet. Had it been for a Toronto Maple Leafs’ fourth-line winger, or a Toronto Blue Jays’ utility participant, it will have been proven in its entirety. What a bush-league gesture.
Unusual, however true:
Though Cole Caufield scored the one shootout objective, he hasn’t scored in regulation towards Winnipeg in 10 video games.
Information you want (Half II):
Caufield and
Nick Suzuki
each produced assists towards Winnipeg, growing their level streaks to 9 and 7 video games, respectively.
Information you want (Half III):
Following the sport the Canadiens introduced ahead Florian Xhekaj and defenceman
Adam Engstrom
, each wholesome scratches towards Winnipeg, have been loaned to AHL Laval. The Rocket, first within the North Division, would possibly quickly turn into unbeatable.
Giveaway of the evening (Half I):
Logan Stanley to Suzuki within the first interval.
Combat of the evening:
Lowry plastered Alexandre Provider behind the Canadiens web within the first interval. Arber Xhekaj then put a beating on Lowry, no Caspar Milquetoast at 6-foot-5 and 210 kilos. Xhekaj, as is his customized, pumped the gang up as he went to the dressing room.
That’ll shut ’em up:
Mark Scheifele, nonetheless being booed by Montreal followers for a vicious — and cheap-shot —
hit towards Jake Evans
through the 2021 playoffs, opened the scoring late within the first interval. To no person’s shock, the spectators continued braying upon him. Do individuals truly imagine this gesture impacts visiting gamers?
Move of the evening (Half I):
Kyle Connor, behind the again, to Scheifele on the objective.
Giveaway of the evening (Half II):
Dylan Samberg to Caufield early within the second interval.
He performs higher with out a stick:
Juraj Slafkovsky
, regardless of having no stick at one level within the second interval, delivered a thunderous verify on Josh Morrissey.
Move of the evening (Half II):
Caufield, from behind the online, to Slafkovsky on Montreal’s opening objective.
Momentum … schmomentum (Half I):
Only one:53 after Slafkovsky scored, Connor gave Winnipeg a 2-1 lead.
Momentum … schmomentum (Half II):
Barely greater than two minutes later,
Oliver Kapanen
tied the sport.
Information you want (Half IV):
The Canadiens outscored Winnipeg 2-1 within the second interval. Meaning they’ve now solely been outscored 39-27 throughout that 20-minute time-frame. Perhaps there’s hope but?
It’s time to vary stick producers:
We’re undecided what model Mike Matheson makes use of, nevertheless it appears the Canadiens’ defenceman breaks at the least one each recreation. On this evening, it was two — together with an tried shot from the blue line in additional time. Matheson, who not often loses his mood, did. We don’t blame him.
It’s a crowded leaderboard:
Caufield, Suzuki and Slafkovsky have been reunited towards Winnipeg — and all three went minus-2.
Fast stats:
Josh Anderson had 5 hits — another than each Brendan Gallagher and Joe Veleno. The latter performed solely 9:50. Caufield and Ivan Demidov every had 4 photographs. Noah Dobson blocked six photographs. Matheson performed 27:12 and blocked 4 photographs. Jakub Dobes’s save proportion was .935. Jared Davidson, who returned to the lineup after being a wholesome scratch the final three video games, acquired solely 8:18 of ice time. The Canadiens received 60.7 per cent of their faceoffs and outhit Winnipeg 25-22. Veleno received eight of 10 faceoffs, whereas Evans received eight of 11.
They stated it:
“It was a momentum-filled recreation,” Evans stated. “(Tuesday) evening (towards Ottawa) we didn’t actually deal with that nicely. Tonight was one in every of our most-complete 60-minute video games … 65, I suppose. Everybody contributed. We fought to the very finish.”
“We’ve had plenty of unhealthy days over the past couple of weeks,” Dobes stated. “Each good and constructive day simply helps. Some goalies assume a goalpost is their finest buddy. I’m simply completely satisfied it didn’t go in. Personally I don’t take into consideration that an excessive amount of.”
“I believe the struggle was good for either side,” Xhekaj stated. “They’re sort of going by means of it a little bit bit. We had a pair unhealthy video games in a row. For either side it was good to get the sport going I assumed.”
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com
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