This version of the Hidden Recreation is devoted to — await it — the hidden recreation the Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs produced for 60 minutes Saturday evening at Scotiabank Enviornment.
There have been few scoring alternatives via regulation time, not many massive hits and little depth from these two nice rivals, in our humble opinion.
Two weeks in the past, when the groups met on the Bell Centre
, there was the precise reverse.
Toronto had solely 10 photographs via two durations, together with three within the center body.
And to suppose folks paid a whole bunch of {dollars} to witness this spectacle.
However it’s not the way you begin:
It’s the way you end, and isn’t three-on-three hockey within the time beyond regulation session merely marvellous? In that 5 minutes alone every staff generated three photographs.
Juraj Slafkovsky
was denied from the slot; William Nylander did not convert a two-man breakaway, electing to shoot quite than cross to Auston Matthews; Morgan Reilly had a superb opportunity, however couldn’t hit the web; Mike Matheson checked Scott Laughton, then got here near scoring himself on the different finish.
Would he dare?:
On Friday, Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis indicated Jakub Dobes would begin in internet in opposition to the Leafs, however
Samuel Montembeault
“most likely” would play Sunday, when Montreal hosts St. Louis. After all, this was earlier than the Canadiens’ 2-1 shootout victory and earlier than Dobes stopped 22 photographs for a .957 save proportion. Dobes has now gained 4 of his final 5 begins. So, now what? Dobes is the recent goaltender. Dobes typically has offered the Canadiens with the very best alternative to win. And who determined a goalie couldn’t play on consecutive nights? However what message is St. Louis sending to Montembeault if he doesn’t face the Blues? Keep tuned.
Historical past repeats itself:
Has anybody seen how typically a staff struggles in its first recreation at dwelling following an prolonged highway journey? The Leafs simply returned from a six-game (4-2) tour.
Unusual, however true:
Not solely was Toronto on a three-game successful streak, it scored 16 objectives over that span.
Information you want (Half I):
The Canadiens ended an 11-game (0-9-2) dropping streak in Toronto with the victory. Montreal’s final victory there occurred in February 2021, when the sector was empty due to COVID-19.
Information you want (Half II):
Cole Caufield’s power-play purpose within the second interval prolonged his level streak to 10 video games. Nick Suzuki’s seven-game level streak got here to an finish.
Information you want (Half III):
With that second-period purpose, the Canadiens now have been outscored 39-28 within the center interval — and are slowly making progress.
Our random considered the evening:
Is it simply us, or had been Toronto ahead Bobby McMann and former Canadien Michael Pezzetta, now taking part in for the AHL Toronto Marlies, separated at beginning?
Milestone:
This was Reilly’s 900th profession recreation.
Like watching paint dry:
Reilly had the sport’s first shot, at 3:53. Toronto had scored on its opening shot the final 4 video games. The Canadiens didn’t generate a shot till 6:09, by Noah Dobson.
Hit of the sport:
Arber Xhekaj’s gem on Dakota Joshua within the first interval at centre ice.
Gimme room:
Matthew Knies got here a bit too near Dobes in that interval — and the netminder wasn’t shy expressing his ideas.
The place objectives go to die:
Zachary Bolduc
had a second-period breakaway, however was denied by the glove hand of Dennis Hildeby, a 6-foot-7 freak of nature. Bolduc has gone 4 video games with out scoring after producing two objectives and three assists at Utah and Vegas.
Nice moments in officiating:
That was a borderline name when Dobson was assessed a second-period tripping penalty on Nylander, who appeared to lose his footing. St. Louis wasn’t impressed with the choice.
Dumb penalty:
The Leafs squandered the ultimate 49 seconds of that man-advantage after John Tavares interfered with Matheson.
Giveaway of the evening:
Oliver Kapanen
misplaced the puck to Nicolas Roy, who then fed Laughton, who then beat Dobes with a low slapper to the glove facet — and the primary shorthanded purpose the Canadiens have allowed this season.
Information you want (Half IV):
That was Laughton’s first purpose in opposition to Montreal in 24 profession video games.
That’s utilizing your head:
Joshua’s point-blank shot went off Dobes’s masks within the third interval.
Me and my shadow:
Jake Evans spent a lot of the evening checking Matthews. Regardless of taking part in 22:52 — tops amongst Toronto forwards — Matthews was held to 1 shot. Maybe he thinks the playoffs have already got began?
Subsequent time, decline the penalty:
The Leafs went 0-for-3 on the ability play and have transformed solely two of their final 25 alternatives.
Fast stats:
Caufield, Matheson, Dobson, Slafkovsky and Josh Anderson all had 4 photographs. Anderson had 4 hits — yet one more than Caufield. Alexandre Service blocked three photographs. Matheson performed 26:56, however Xhekaj performed solely 11:49. The Canadiens gained solely 41.9 per cent of their faceoffs and had been outhit 28-21. Kapanen misplaced 5 of seven attracts, whereas
Joe Veleno
misplaced six of 11. Suzuki was 9-for-25 within the faceoff circle. Evans gained 54 per cent of his 13 faceoffs.
They stated it:
“That how we have to play,” Dobes instructed reporters in Toronto. “Good particulars. Play mature hockey. Play good within the defensive and offensive zone. Don’t make silly errors. Don’t take silly penalties. If we play like that we’ll achieve success going ahead.
“Generally the hockey goes your means,” he added. “Generally it doesn’t. It goes day-to-day. Now, you’re good. Tomorrow, you won’t be good. Brief reminiscence. No matter occurs occurs.”
“The defensive a part of our recreation tonight was the very best I’ve seen it to be trustworthy,” St. Louis instructed the media in Toronto. “We didn’t give them a lot. It’s as much as the gamers to maintain these requirements. We all know what now we have in that division. Can we repeat that, realizing it’s arduous to do?
“He competes in internet,” he added about Dobes. “He’s very demanding of himself. He likes that stage — Saturday evening in Toronto. I don’t suppose he will get intimidated by that.”
“He (Dobes) is a gamer and he expects lots from himself and calls for lots from himself,” Caufield stated in Toronto. “That’s simply the competitor that he’s. He has been doing that for us all 12 months. He battled all evening and saved us in it.”
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com
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