And the Canadiens proved they can win games yet another way – even when they are totally dominated.
On Friday, Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock, whose team was already in Montreal, looked ahead to the match up this way: “We’re excited that they play tonight and we get to watch them (in Buffalo).” Babcock had already seen his team lose twice in back to back situations to their more rested opponents. Throw in the added incentives of having already lost the season opener on home ice to the Habs and what is now quickly become a rallying point for each team Montreal faces – bragging rights – and you had an obviously well prepared and focused Toronto team for the Saturday night Hockey Night In Canada marquee match up. And they put on quite the show. But so did the three best players on the Habs.
THE GOOD
- Carey Price. So when exactly do we see some slippage in his game? I thought his all-world performance of 2014-15 was “unsustainable”. Allowed three goals in a game for the first time this season. But also become the first Montreal goalie in 25 years to make 49 saves in a non-overtime game. Back to Babcock on Friday, “Did I mention their goalie is real good?”.
- P.K. Subban. First goal of the season blasted through Jonathan Bernier. And for the third game in a row Subban kept a point shot low that led directly to a goal – this time to set up a perfectly positioned Brendan Gallagher for a deflection late in the second period which all but killed the Leafs comeback chances. Subban had five of the Habs 27 shots on goal. (As Chris Nilan pointed out all but two of Montreal’s 11 first period shots came from their defense. An early indicator that they were a step or two behind in this one.) Subban earned the right to ham it up on the ice during his post game chat with Renaud Lavoie of TVA, grabbing the microphone, charming the fans en francais and leading them in chants of “Carey! Carey!” I think the kid has a future in this business.
- Max Pacioretty. There was the familiar firm of Pacioretty and Tomas Plekanec breaking away while shorthanded late in the second period on a two on one. Pacioretty looked pass all the way to get Bernier to open up just a bit, then took a quick look and fired the puck through the five-hole. Not a good goal for Bernier to give up but give some credit to a real smart goal scorer.
- Special Teams. The NHL’s best penalty killing unit was at it again killing off all five Toronto power plays including almost a full minute of a five on three in the second period. And the Subban and Gallagher goals were scored on a suddenly rejuvenated power play (22.9% up to 9th in NHL).
- Alex Galchenyuk. A highlight reel rush to beat two Toronto defensemen (Morgan Reilly and Roman Polak) led to Montreal grabbing a 2-0 lead early in the second after Lars Eller pounced on the rebound to deposit the puck into an empty net. Galchenyuk continues to make things happen in the offensive zone. Stuck on one goal (against the Leafs on opening night) but that’s about to change.
- David Desharnais. On the subject of making things happen in the offensive zone…two goals and seven points through nine games. A season ago he didn’t score his second goal until mid-November or the 18 game mark. And it took him 15 games to reach seven points.
- Pre-Game tribute to Dr. David Mulder. It was a touching and emotional moment for Mulder and his family, four days after the Montreal General Hospital renamed its trauma centre in his honour.
- Jimmy Roberts. Moment of silence for a terrific NHL player who helped the Canadiens win five Stanley Cups. Roberts was a rare two way performer on defense and right wing for both the Habs and St. Louis Blues. He won a pair of Cups back to back in the mid-60s before St. Louis claimed him in the expansion draft of 1967. Roberts captained the Blues under young coach Scotty Bowman helping them to the Stanley Cup final in each of their first three seasons before losing to the Habs in 1968 and 1969 and to the Bruins in 1970. Bowman and Roberts were reunited in Montreal in time to win the Cup in 1972-73 (Scotty’s first) when GM Sam Pollack sent winger Phil Roberto to St. Louis. And Roberts was part of the Habs dynasty of the late 70s playing mostly alongside Doug Jarvis and Bob Gainey for the first two seasons of their four straight Cups before Pollack sent him back to St. Louis for a draft choice who turned out to be Guy Carbonneau. Roberts died of cancer Friday at the age of 75.
THE BAD
- Alex Semin. More below.
- Torrey Mitchell. Rough night in the face off circle winning just two of thirteen draws (15%). Mitchell was victimized on Toronto’s first goal by Leo Komorov. After losing the face off to Nazem Kadri, Mitchell failed to protect the slot, rushing instead to the blue line where Scott Harrington’s shot was neatly directed by James Van Riemsdyk to an uncovered Komorov.
- Andrei Markov. He was on the ice for all three Toronto goals. Not surprising that the Habs oldest player should struggle somewhat after starring the night before in Buffalo. Another key veteran – soon to be 33 year old (Oct. 31) Plekanec – failed to register a shot on goal for the first time this season. It’s something to keep an eye on as the games pile up – just how effective these two guys who play such hard, meaningful minutes are later in the season, especially at playoff time when they’re at it every second night.
THE UGLY
- Toronto’s second goal by Van Riemsdyk. What a spit show. There were five guys on the ice (Subban, Markov, Galchenyuk, Eller and Semin) hemmed in for what seemed like minutes but it was Semin who failed on at least two occasions to get the puck out. When he finally got control of it he sent it through the middle of the ice – right to Van Riemsdyk. In between chances to clear Semin wasn’t moving much. He tried taking a much needed breather by bending at the waist, stick on knees. We’ve all been there – gassed on a long shift but I don’t think I’ve seen a player react quite like that in his own zone during an NHL game. (When the puck inevitably found the back of the Montreal net, HNIC’s Craig Simpson blamed it on Price for being “too aggressive”.) Whether he was still upset at himself for the bonehead play or upset at his coach for taking him off the ice, the body language from Semin when he left the ice following a shift late in the second period was not good as he approached the bench very, very slowly and also took his time before sitting down. Early in the third, when he coughed up the puck in the offensive zone which led directly to Toronto’s third goal by Reilly, Therrien had seen enough. Semin’s shifts alongside Galchenyuk and Eller were shared by Devante Smith-Pelly and Brian Flynn. Here comes the first real test of the Semin-Therrien relationship.
