10 Thoughts – Close isn’t Close Enough

The Montreal Canadiens took on the San Jose Sharks in a (Eastern timezone) late-night tilt with some of the league’s best young players running hot. Macklin Celebrini and Lane Hutson met for the second time, the first of course highlighted by the spectacular Cole Caufield overtime stunner, and this headliner was a similar show of skill and speed. The result, however, was entirely different, as San Jose picked up the 7-5 win. Caufield was nowhere to be seen, whereas Celebrini continued to cement his role as a top 10 player in the National Hockey League right now.

Jakub Dobes started his second game since the break, and some rust showed at times. He let in a few soft goals he certainly would want back, and was caught out of position for the game-winner. The defenders did not help him much at times, yet also comported themselves honourably once the game turned chippy. Nick Suzuki must have shot at least a dozen times on net, and the Canadiens responded to their three-goal deficit with intensity and high-end skill. They were unable to complete the cardiac revival again, but have a few days to digest and reorganize themselves before the next Californian tilt on Friday in Anaheim.

Starting Lines

Caufield – Suzuki – Dach
Slafkovsky – Kapanen – Demidov
Newhook – Evans – Bolduc
Anderson – Danault – Gallagher

Matheson – Guhle
Hutson – Dobson
Struble – Carrier

Dobes
Montembeault

Ten Thoughts

1) Montreal and San Jose immediately went head-to-head with rush chances on Tuesday night to the delight of a filled lower bowl. Dobes was active as well, getting an excellent paddle on a puck sent to the front of the net after Caufield bobbled a pass below the circle in his own zone. Oliver Kapanen would be the one to strike first on the scoreboard as the Habs forwards began skating through the neutral zone without much resistance. Kapanen received a dump pass from Slafkovsky in order to break out of the zone, then burst up the left wing as Demidov patrolled on the right. Kapanen held onto the puck and carried into the zone, cutting towards the middle just above the hash marks before shooting. The shot was a knuckle-puck, 47 mph and wobbling in the air, dodging over Yaroslav Askarov’s glove and beating him on the far side.

2) Once more, the Canadiens had scored first in front of Dobes, and once more relatively early in the first period. With just over ten minutes, Celebrini and Will Smith forced his first save of the game on a point-blank shot as the latter forward beat his man wide and then to the middle. With around 8:30 remaining, the first call of the game went against Nick Suzuki. Clearly embracing an attitude overhaul on the ice, the Habs’ best player was spotted driving his fist into Smith’s face moments before the call (with the puck nowhere in sight) and then interfered with Laval-native Vincent Desharnais as they both tried to re-engage with the play further up the ice. Phillip Danault and Jake Evans paired as the forwards on the kill and fought hard for the first minute, earning two whistles but no effective clears. Josh Anderson and Kapanen were also effective with their sticks, but the power play was much more mobile in their attack and Dobes was needed to stop another close-range shot from Sherwood.

3) Following the penalty, the Canadiens attacked. Alex Newhook brought his long-missed speed into the zone and paired with Lane Hutson and Zach Bolduc for two near-misses and once more showcased how valuable that player is to the lineup. Smith and Celebrini’s linemate, Collin Graf, had been everywhere so far in the first period and that fact was no different with five minutes left in the first. A faceoff to Dobes’ right turned into a tying goal for the home team following failed clears by Suzuki and Caufield. Celebrini won the faceoff back to his defenceman, and Caufield and Dach were not able to press the Shark off the puck before he offloaded to Graf, who then fed Smith as he snuck down the right flank unopposed. Graf slid into the soft coverage behind Dobes as the netminder squared with the puck, and Smith was able to get the puck across the crease to Graf for an in-close two-on-one goal.

4) Prior to the first intermission, the Habs had been starting to chase their own tails around their zone, the puck whizzing past forwards between Sharks players. Coming out of the break, Montreal looked to get their legs moving again. By doing just that, Hutson was able to draw a tripping penalty along the wall as he attempted to move half past half through Graf’s stick, which ended up in his legs. The top unit lost the faceoff and had to reset, though they were able to gain the zone once more. Unfortunately for that group of skaters, they could not get a shot on net as pressure from the defenders forced two turnovers that ended any offensive hopes. The second unit fared no better, unable to establish themselves at all. Even more concerning, Graf was able to be hit as he left the box for a breakaway that a sprawling Dobes got a left pad down to stop.

5) The bench should remember that save, as Mike Matheson put the Canadiens ahead once more with an innocuous shot from the left far point. Evans brought the grit to the Sharks’ zone and earned the puck from his counterpart, then fed Matheson back at the blue line. Later, Askarov made a beautiful save on a two-on-one with Kapanen and Demidov, lunging out to his left and knocking the puck behind him. Once the goal from Matheson was scored, Montreal would come down the ice twice more on rushes that Askarov and a few heroic defencemen needed to block to keep the game within one early in the second period.

6) Another penalty was called behind the play when Celebrini hooked Caufield as he turned to head up ice with Dach. Askarov stopped three high-danger chances from Caufield, Hutson, and Caufield again as the Canadiens’ offensive talents dynamically moved the puck through the defenders, as well as moving the defenders to make new passing lanes. Caufield was skunked during a one-on-one play that bounced off Askarov’s left pad and Demidov had the puck jump on his stick as the wingers looked to connect three feet from the net across the crease. Once more, the Canadiens were unable to clear a bouncing puck in front of Dobes, piling defencemen and forwards in a jumbled group. Despite the pressure that had been building for the Canadiens, a TV timeout stymied the immediate momentum. Dobes himself, this time, poked the puck forward as it lay sitting in front of him straight to Michael Misa, who took and shot in one motion over Dobes’ shoulder to tie the game.

7) The Habs were tagged with another minor penalty with 7:27 remaining in the second period. Kapanen slashed Dmitry Orlov’s left hand at the top of the zone, and the Sharks were able to gain some momentum of their own with six skaters for about 20 seconds. Matheson cleared out the initial faceoff, but the Sharks were able to regain the zone and started pressuring. Evans and Danault fought them off as they could, and Evans eventually evened the lineup when he was tripped by Alex Wennberg’s stick. He went awkwardly and disjointedly into the boards, and play proceeded to four-on-four. Neither team got much going during the excess minute, and Montreal was back on the power play at 5:22 of the second with :54 to work with. An immediate clear took 20 seconds away, and the final :34 were spent along the boards or retrieving pucks in the neutral zone. Not to be sent to the dressing room without being felt and heard, with 1:37 left in the period, Celebrini took the puck into the Habs zone, akin to Kapanen earlier, and put a wrist shot through Dobes’ legs. 25 seconds later, Dach could not shake Kiefer Sherwood following the faceoff at centre ice and had the puck stripped. Sherwood pivoted and fired a pass at Wennberg, who chipped the puck over Dobes’ right shoulder and established a quick two-goal lead as the team headed into the third period.

8) A lively scrum erupted to Dobes’ right after he caught a tight-angle shot along the post and held on. Anderson took exception to Sherwood’s proximity to Dobes and delivered two hearty cross-checks, then a fist to his face. Struble also ended up in the box after a wrestling match with Mario Ferraro. San Jose began closing the noose on the Habs over the course of the third period, a relentless forecheck supported with high-end and enthusiastic skill. On the power play, Smith and Celebrini connect once more. Celebrini expertly spotted Smith on the back door, below Alexandre Carrier’s position, and hit him with a bullet pass to get another on the board for the Sharks. The tone of the game began to deteriorate and scrums developed after every whistle. Desharnais was sent to the box shortly after the fifth goal for cross-checking Dach behind the play, and Demidov was able to fire his off-wing one-timer past Askarov.

9) The Canadiens struck again seconds later with another quick goal, getting the Habs back to within one off the stick of Newhook. He made a great play to bump a hot pass from Kaiden Guhle back to the lower boards, where Evans was able to pass it right back. Newhook was now in the clear and wired a wrister past Askarov. Montreal earned themselves another powerplay when Demidov kept his feet moving and was tripped up by Sam Dickinson. The first initial rush was broken up by active Sharks’ sticks, the second at the blue line, the third at the red line, and then the units changed. Noah Dobson uncorked a shot from the point, Montreal’s only real chance on the power play until two seconds remained and a rebound went right to him at the side of the net. Newhook banked the puck off Askarov’s skate to tie the game at five.

10) After Adam Gaudette and Kirby Dach were called for incidentals after another scrum and another Dobes tip-over following contact in the crease, there was critical four-on-four play with seven minutes left in the third period. Matheson and Dobson both had the puck taken from them at points, but no damage was done by either team during the penalties. Montreal was put back in the box with four minutes remaining during the TV timeout for too many men, and the penalty killers were not able to shut the door. Kiefer Sherwood got his first as a Shark as the play broke down and he was able to get a wide-open pass from Philipp Kurashev that fooled Dobes. Despite a spirited push with the extra skater, Adam Gaudette would score the empty-netter and Montreal was unable to complete the comeback.

HabsWorld Habs 3 Stars

1st Star – Alex Newhook

Montreal’s skating dynamo was attacking the ice again in California, earning two excellent, gritty goals that are a trademark of his with the Habs. His skating is transformative to the lineup, enabling others to use his to drive defences back off, exploiting aggressive coverages. He kept with the puck the whole game and likely created both of his goals purely on enthusiasm and high energy. He brings the playoff energy with him.

Stats: 2 goals, +1, 3 shots, 1 block, 1 hit, 15:13 T.O.I

2nd Star – Mike Matheson

Montreal’s true veteran leader on the blueline played his old offensive role during the contest in San Jose. Matheson earned three assists and looked very dynamic with his half-head fakes near the end of the game. He has a steady presence on the line for the rest of the defencemen and does not shy away from intense physical conflict, especially if he was responsible for the negative play.

Stats: 3 assists, +/- even, 3 shots, 1 giveaway, 24:19 T.O.I. 

3rd Star – Jakub Dobes

Dobes’ game was bipolar, two sides with the same objective but fundamentally different structures. His enthusiasm for the play is evident in his goaltending style and activity, however, he passed the puck to Misa to be scored on and the Celebrini goal in the second period was one he would want back every day of the week. He also kept the game close in the first and early second, making key saves when he was expected to and giving the defenders plenty of breakout passes when he left the net. His slot save on Celebrini during the closing minutes of the game was pristine.

Stats: 21 SV, 6 GA, .778 SV%