10 Thoughts – From Victory in Vegas to Defeat in Denver

The Montreal Canadiens entered Saturday’s afternoon contest coming off a dominant win in Las Vegas the evening before. Adam Engstrom drew back into the lineup to replace a banged-up Jayden Struble, and Montreal looked to continue to build upon its recent success and lineup. Jakub Dobes got the start against an Avalanche team wearing Quebec City blue that entered Saturday with one single regulation loss on its record this season.

Montreal comported themselves well during this afternoon game, squaring up with the best team in the league. However, the game finished at 7-2, representative of one team finishing on each chance while the other was snake-bitten. Mackenzie Blackwood played well, but he was not forced into saving the game for the Avalanche beyond the first period. Montreal will need to recharge its batteries and re-evaluate the schemes before facing an important divisional rival in Ottawa next week.

Habs Lineup

Cole Caufield — Nick Suzuki — Zach Bolduc
Juraj Slafkovsky – Oliver Kapanen — Ivan Demidov
Alexander Texier – Jake Evans – Josh Anderson
Florian Xhekaj – Joe Veleno – Brendan Gallagher

Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Alex Carrier — Lane Hutson
Arber Xhekaj – Adam Engstrom 

Jakub Dobes – Samuel Montembeault 

10 Thoughts

1) The Avalanche and Canadiens opened up the game with a dynamic first few minutes, as Dobes and Blackwood both received early shots. Jake Evans was not able to convert a partial breakaway, whereas Dobes was called upon to stop shots from the Colorado defencemen stepping up into the zone after faceoff wins.

2) The first call of the game was made against Colorado. Brock Nelson got called by the referees for high-sticking Bolduc as he entered the zone, putting the Canadiens on the man advantage less than five minutes in. The power play saw Bolduc’s return to the top unit remain, and he took a pass from Suzuki across the zone and forced Blackwood to make an excellent sprawling save. 30 seconds later, he sent himself sprawling to the other post on an identical feed from Demidov to Kapanen, the young centre unable to get a good stick on his shot. The penalty expired, but Montreal had built some good momentum to carry into even-strength play.

3) Despite the direction of the play, Brock Nelson reminded Canadiens fans why they were happy to see his trade to the Western Conference at the trade deadline last season. Artturi Lehkonen and Joel Kiviranta both assisted on Nelson’s goal, which he scored after taking a centring pass from Lehkonen while alone in the slot and in front of Dobes. The play developed from the Avalanche defensemen in their own zone moving the puck to the forwards up the middle of the ice. A straightforward 3-on-2 emerged as Gallagher was left stranded behind the play, putting Colorado up by one.

4) Nelson almost earned his second of the night as the Avalanche crashed the net during another defensive breakdown from the bottom of the Canadiens’ lineup. The fourth line got caught puck-watching and reacting to explosive Colorado skating and puck movement, which led to Ross Colton bursting through the middle of the ice and splitting the Habs defencemen late in the first. Carrier took Colton head-on, backing up almost all the way to Dobes’ crease as the Avalanche winger swung out wide and sent his pass back up the slot to an open Nelson, caught in a soft triangle between Texier, Xhekaj, and Gallagher (again). Nelson’s shot went into the feet of a sliding Anderson and Gabriel Landeskog and crossed the goal line in the confusion. Both forwards went into the net and Dobes feet-first, the net was dislodged, and Montreal’s head coach offered a futile challenge to the goal for interference. An argument could certainly have been made, as the top-down angle clearly shows Landeskog’s feet clip Dobes and knock his pad out of the way, however, the officials stated that Anderson initiated contact with Landeskog and caused the collision, negating any damage done by the Avalanche en route to scoring.

Unfortunately for the officials, once more attempting to portray themselves as competent, they failed to notice the fact that Landeskog’s path led only towards the net (as he is taught to play) and he even stopped during the play as he crashed into Dobes. Both of the Colorado captain’s skates were horizontal, and he was upright as he enters the crease, clearly showing that he was not forced there by Anderson. Landeskog was credited with the goal early in the second period.

5) 50 seconds into the second period and the Avalanche made the game 3-0 off a Brent Burns point shot. Montreal pushed to get back into the game early, but they were rewarded with a defensive-zone faceoff and another goal against. Burns lined up at the shooting lane atop the circle and ripped a wrist shot past Dobes, truly slowing the game down. From this point forward, Montreal played slow and methodical, missing assignments and leaving the goaltender out to dry.

6) Nelson got his fourth point of the game and his second of the game as Martin Necas sent a lazy pass behind the pack as Nelson sat on the post. The two forwards were in on a two-on-none as the Canadiens again gave the puck away in the offensive zone. Nelson missed his breakaway shot wide, but banked his rebound behind the net to Martin Necas, who beat all of Montreal’s forwards backchecking. Suzuki was returning from the opposite play behind the other nine skaters, and the top line was exposed when Bolduc backed off Necas, who slowly curled with the puck back into the circle and into the slot. Nelson was waiting back on the post, and easily banged in the pass sent his way as Dobson got turned around and ended up on his knees as the goal was scored around him.

7) Montreal would not be completely denied, as Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov continued building the chemistry that has characterized their on-ice relationship since the lineup was changed a few games ago. Montreal got its first goal when Slafkovsky spun off of an Avalanche defender in a  great showing of skill and puck-handling. The play started from Demidov’s own carrying of the puck out of the defensive zone and across the blue line, before dropping the puck off for Slafkovsky just inside. Slafkovsky carried the puck to the goal line and sent his pass across the crease to a waiting Demidov, whose 6th of the season got the Canadiens on the board. The Slovakian winger has truly improved and developed his game during the course of this season so far, in alignment with natural maturation, aging, and frontal lobe development. The organization has seemed tentative to separate him from Suzuki in the past, so the experience with Demidov has been one of both on-ice chemistry but also personality and mental management for the Habs coaching staff.

8) Demidov received another chance to earn points on a three-on-one rush late in the second period, following a breakaway attempt that Florian Xhekaj had broken his stick on. When the game hit 4-1, play across both teams began to weaken as structure broke down into instinctual play. Kapanen and Necas got tied up at the Habs line and stayed together long enough for opposing minors to be issued. Montreal was humiliated on the ensuing four-on-four play, as it only took Nathan MacKinnon 11 seconds to get on the ice and put the Avalanche up by four once more. He scored from the same place the rest of the team has been scoring from, just next to one of the posts and waiting for a pass.

9) Montreal came out with something to prove in the third period and immediately pushed for offence. Each line earned puck touches, at least a shot, and they were rewarded after three minutes of play with a high-quality goal against. Devon Toews scored his first of the season as he and Necas took the puck up the ice on a broken two-on-one opposite Matheson. Montreal’s forward lost possession in front of the Avalanche net, leading to the rush chance up the length of the rink. Necas sent a pass across the slot to Toews, whose return pass hit Matheson and ricocheted into the net, putting the 6th goal of the night past Jakub Dobes.

10) Toews was called for slashing Zach Bolduc after 4:18 of the third, putting the Habs back on the power play for more practice in a lost game. Hutson was able to rip a dribbling shot past Blackwood and boost the stats of the man advantage, while furthering point streaks for some of the top players such as Caufield. Dobes was able to fight off more power play chances in favor of the Avalanche when Evans was called for high-sticking MacKinnon, however, the seventh goal of the afternoon beat him via a Landeskog tip. MacKinnon took and curled the puck inside the circle and sent his hard, simple wrist shot towards his captain’s shin pads, which was subsequently redirected and reaffirmed Colorado’s confidence in their team this season. Over the remainder of the game, perimeter offensive chances and line rushes were traded by both teams. Anderson was called for two penalties, and the Canadiens played out a defeated contest before heading home to face Ottawa on Tuesday.

HabsWorld Habs 3 Stars

1st Star –  Jakub Dobes

None of the goals scored on him appeared to be caused by decisions made by the goaltender himself. He was hung out to dry numerous times on plays, and did not appear disjointed to emotional in net. In a 7-2 loss, it is difficult to find true stars but Montreal has certainly found a goaltender of the future. Even at 7 – 2, Dobes laid out for pucks and power play shots.

Stats: 29 saves on 36 shots, .806 save percentage

2nd Star – Juraj Slafkovsky

Slafkovsky followed up a strong week with another lively performance in both zones of the rink. Juraj has taken defensive details to heart and is often the last forward back in the zone, recovering loose pucks or slowing the play down for his defenders before the unit can change. Slafkovsky has been showing more and more of the behaviors that justified his draft selection, such as his playmaking ability and vision as he enters the zone. Slafkovsky is still only 21 years old, and in his 4th NHL season, he is showing the versatility the Habs management was looking forward to.

Stats: 1 assist, – 1,  1 shot(s), 15:47 T.O.I. 

3rd Star – Ivan Demidov

Opposite Slafkovsky, the Canadiens’ young winger has continued to showcase his skill set and willingness to engage with the physical side of the game. Sporting a fat lip for the last week’s worth of hockey games, Demidov does not take his foot off the gas when winning or losing big.

Stats: 1 goal, 2 shot(s), 14:12 T.O.I.