Canadiens: Just Like Riding A Bike

It was the battle of the Patri(c)ks tonight at the Bell Centre as the Montreal Canadiens and Patrik Laine welcomed the New York Islanders and Patrick Roy.

Montreal Canadiens' coach Martin St-Louis didn't want to make Patrik Laine wait too long before he could get rid of those early debuts jitters, and he sent his second line on the ice to start the game against the New York Islanders. Unsurprisingly, the crowd was very vocal every time the Finnish sniper touched the puck, becoming the second player to provoke that reaction this season after Lane Hutson. 

Less than two minutes into the game, Maxim Tsyplakov was sent to the box for tripping Huston and the Habs were able to deploy the first wave of their power play which now included both Laine and Hutson wo had taken over for Dach and Matheson respectively. 

There's definitely something there as there were some solid passing plays, but only one shot made its way to Ilya Sorokin. Still, it allowed the fans to see just how silky smooth Laine's pass can be and how deceptive he can be as well. 

It was a prudent first for both teams and neither really had the upper hand. Jayden Struble had a rough period though, turning the puck over on a nothing play at the opponent's blue line, but no harm came of it. Hutson promptly killed the play, showing his defensive ability.

Struble then received an interference penalty for blocking Oliver Wahlstrom after the puck had long past the Canadiens blueliner with a mere five seconds left to the first frame, setting New York up for a power play debut to the middle frame. 

The Habs managed to kill the penalty, mainly thanks to Samuel Montembeault who was looking insanely comfortable and confident in net last night. One has to wonder if he might have gotten some good news in the last 48 hours, guess we’ll hear tomorrow night when Team Canada’s 4 Nations Face Off roster is finally revealed.  

Arber Xhekaj had a good match, he shone in the second period with a couple of booming shot and even deked around the offensive zone as well, with a confidence he had lost somewhere along the way but that now seems to be back. He completed his night with five shots, three hits and two takeaways.

With a little over 13 minutes left in the second, Hudson Fasching took an ill-advised high sticking penalty on Cole Caufield, providing the Canadiens with their second power play opportunity and one they weren't going to miss. 

The first wave unit set up camp in the Islanders' zone and after a few back and forth passes between Nick Suzuki, Hutson and Laine, the Finn stepped up to the plate and sent a laser off a shot above Sorokin's shoulder. First game and first goal for him, Hollywood couldn't have written a better scenario. The Bell Center erupted with a roar of a cheer and the big Finn really appeared to be enjoying his moment. 

His line also did some good work physically, as he and Juraj Slafkovsky landed some big hits. Laine showed an ability to separate player and puck, determined to come away with it after a battle in the corner. 

After Sorokin made a big save on Caufield on a breakaway, the Islanders seemed to come alive and turn up the intensity, taking plenty of shots on Montembeault. While the goalie was very good on the night, if you shoot 17 times in a frame and no one picks up the rebound, eventually, the puck will go in. Which is exactly what happened when Anders Lee was left all alone in front of the keeper after a turnover at the blueline. 

After 40 minutes, the score was 1-1 and the Islanders had the edge in shots, 22 to 18. The Canadiens had 20 minutes left to make sure Laine's return played out just like he had dreamed it. 

There was a lot of back and front in the third, but not that many shots. The Canadiens’ goalie only had to stop six shots while the Isles turned seven aside. In the last minute, the Canadiens thought they had gotten a four-minute power play after Kaiden Guhle was clipped by a stick, but turned out the guilty stick was Mike Matheson and both sides headed to overtime. 

Perhaps Laine’s visit to the Oratory worked, or the Canadiens just had a good overtime period in them, but whatever the reason, Caufield, Suzuki and Matheson mesmerized the Islanders and the captain was able to cut to the net and jump on his own rebound to give Montreal a 2-1 win.

It couldn’t have been scripted better, on Laine’s return, the Canadiens get the two points and put an end to a two-game losing streak. Turns out for tonight at least, Laine was right, hockey is just like riding a bike. Asked how he felt about the way the fans embrace him he explained:

Oh yeah, that was the most outrageous thing I've ever heard in my entire life, it's like I don't deserve this! I mean not at all. For sure it will be something I remember forever. That was the coolest thing I've ever seen, that welcome. even early on when I came here from the fans and the city over all. Now coming back to play, it was pretty humbling. 

Post game, linemate Slafkovsky was beaming, he looked really please with his game, as he should be said coach St-Louis promptly. While he didn't make it on the scoresheet, he played a big game, landing six hits and definitely played a part in tonight's win.

The same has to be said about Josh Anderson, in limited ice time, he still managed to land four hits but also apply some good forechecking, in short he was a real pain to play against, which is something a coach always loves to see from a player. 

The Canadiens will be back on the ice in Brossard tomorrow, as they get ready for their next game against the Nashville Predators on Thursday night. Stay tuned tomorrow to hear who made their national team's roster for the Four Nations Face Off, from what I'm hearing here, looks like Montembeault, Laine and Joel Armia earned themselves a spot, but it remains to be confirmed...

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