Yahoo Sports 3 Takeaways From Groundhog Day
After losing to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night, the Montreal Canadiens had a chance to bounce back against a New Jersey Devils side that recently lost number one goaltender Jacob Markstrom, but nobody said it would be easy.
Whoever Is In Net, If The Rest Of The Team Doesn't Play...
Just like in Detroit, the Canadiens were weak in the first frame, they looked tired and out of breath (and perhaps they were as the flu is apparently going around these day) while the Devils weren't.
As a result Jesper Bratt was able to manoeuvre in the Canadiens' zone like a hot knife through butter and picked up a goal and an assist as New Jersey took a 2-0 lead. On Nico Hischier's goal, Jakub Dobes was as deported to his left as Samuel Montembeault was on one of the Wings' goals on Thursday night and on Bratt's goal, he saw absolutely nothing as the puck made its way through the five-hole.
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I'm not picking on the rookie here, but the point is, if the 18 other guys on the ice aren't playing, the goalie can't do much. After 20 minutes, the Devils had 12 shots and the Canadiens only six, Martin St-Louis' men looked like a 15-year-old car trying to start up in minus-30 weather, unfortunately CAA-Quebec wasn't on hand to jump start them.
Your Best Players Must Be Your Best Players
After an uninspired first, the Canadiens' top line stepped up not once, but twice. Less than four minutes into the middle frame Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky attacked with purpose and when the big Slovak was denied by Jake Allen, the line just kept going, leading to a Suzuki goal moments later.
After former Hab Tomas Tatar had given a two-goal lead back to the Devils, the first line turned it up a notch again and this time, it was Caufield who found the back of the net with his 25th of the season. The linemates got a points each again, and maintained the Habs on respiratory support.
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The line had no shot in the first period, but with the team down by two after 20 minutes, they combined for seven in the middle frame. No doubt, they inspired their teammates who went from six shots in the first, to sixteen in the second.
Guhle's Leadership
If the Canadiens' young forward chore took charge in the second frame, it was the only young defensemen who Kent Hughes has signed long term who lead the charge in the third.
Within 90 seconds, Kaiden Guhle had joined in on every attack and had to shot attempts with one of them getting through to Jake Allen. Then, at 3:34, Suzuki won the faceoff, passed the puck to Guhle who fed it to his defense partner Alexandre Carrier and the Quebecer scored his first goal with the Canadiens to send everyone back to square one. On top of scoring a goal, Carrier, just like Lane Hutson, he had six blocked shots tonight.
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In the end, Guhle spent 25:11 on the ice tonight, took three shots and had three blocks. Later in the third, he was on the ice as the Habs blocked six shots in 56 seconds. There's no doubt about it, he's a gamer and Hughes' decision to sign him long-term was the right one.
While the Canadiens lost 4-3 in overtime (Dobes' first career loss), they still pocketed an important point in the playoffs race. It's a shame for the young netminder really, you don't deserve to lose when you make 40 saves and have a .909 save percentage on the night. He couldn't perform another miracle in overtime when Hughes and Timo Meier came in all-alone thanks to a Mike Matheson turnover.
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