The Montreal Canadiens were in control for much of the game against the Boston Bruins on Saturday night, but 15 seconds cost them two points.
If the Montreal Canadiens lost an important game against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, they lost an even more important one on Saturday night against the Boston Bruins. After the Sabres had leapfrogged over them thanks to a Saturday afternoon matinee win, the Canadiens almost played a perfect road game but came up just short.
While playing on the road and without the last change, the Canadiens looked surgical on the ice for most of the game. After 40 minutes of play, the Bruins had only been able to take 13 shots on net, including only two in the first frame. Six of their 13 shots had come on the power play as well.
Mr. Saturday Night
Not so long ago, that nickname belonged to Carey Price in Montreal, but nowadays, it refers to sniper Cole Caufield. With a hat trick against the Bruins, the sniper has now taken the lead in goals scored on Saturday night with 11, two ahead of Nathan MacKinnon and three ahead of Connor McDavid.
What’s even more impressive is that he also leads the league in most game-tying and go-ahead goals with 20, that’s 69% of his goals that have been determinant. Caufield doesn’t score the seventh goal in a 7-2 blowout; he’s in the trenches early on and scores when his team needs him the most.
Since being left off the Team USA roster, Caufield has 10 goals and 14 points in 13 games. I think it’s fair to say that the snub has motivated him. In the end, Bill Guerin and co. might have given both the Canadiens and the Canadians a hand there. Caufield is playing insanely well for his team and won’t hurt Team Canada at the Olympics, the best of both worlds.
A Big Scare
For a minute, it looked like we may not get any fights in this traditional rivalry matchup, until Kirby Dach and Jonathan Aspirot dropped the gloves 15:33 into the first frame. Yes, you read that right, Dach dropped the gloves.
After the tilt, he skated right to the rook and needed some repairs on a lacerated finger. The 25-year-old was lucky in his misfortune, as his first punch got nothing but a helmet; he could have broken a hand or a thumb on that play. Skating away with just a cut was a blessing.
Don’t tell the coach that’s not something Dach should be doing, though; he didn’t want to hear it after the game.
Lack Of A Killer Instinct
For much of the third period, the Bruins couldn’t get near the net. With less than seven minutes to go in the game, Boston only had 15 shots, but when you only have a one-goal lead, you’re playing with fire.
The Habs had the perfect opportunity to put the game away when Brendan Gallagher drew a penalty, but Montreal was unable to put the final nail in the Bruins’ coffin; they could only muster one shot on goal on that power play.
With just over 6 minutes left in the game, Fraser Minten scored with a backhand shot to tie the score. Seconds later, Alexandre Carrier took a holding penalty, and on the ensuing draw, which Phillip Danault lost, the Bruins set up Morgan Geekie for a slap shot, and he didn’t miss. The puck flew by Montembeault so quickly that nobody but Geekie knew that it was in the back of the net. Two goals in 15 seconds and the game flipped on its head. After the match, Martin St-Louis said that Geekie’s shot deflected off Evans’ leg, and that’s why it got past the goalie.
It’s another four goals on just 21 shots, which gives Montembeault an .810 save percentage on the night, but given the fact that three goals were scored on the power play, it’s hard to blame the goaltender. Still, the masked man is paid to do a tough job and to win games, you need your goaltender to make the big save.
With that loss, the Canadiens are now in the first wildcard spot, a single point ahead of the Bruins. Meanwhile, the Sabres are now third in the Atlantic, and while they have the same number of points as the Canadiens, they have a game in hand. With just five games to go before the Olympic break, the Habs find themselves in some troubled waters, and they must find a way to win some games in a hurry. Next Saturday, they will once again be playing against the Sabres in what will truly be a do-or-die affair.
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