For the first time in the 2017-18 season, the Montreal Canadiens won a game in regulation last night at the Bell Center. The win against divisional rival the Florida Panthers comes after one of the worst starts in franchise history.
The Montreal Canadiens Win First Game in Regulation this Season
Going into the game, the Canadiens had scored just 12 goals while allowing 33 goals against. They have looked lost on defense, ineffective on the power play, and unwilling to stand up for each other. It was shocking and shameful that no one stepped up after this Andrew Shaw mugging by Kevin Bieksa last Friday against the Anaheim Ducks.
The juice says sit down Shaw! @kbieksa3 💪🏻👊🏻 pic.twitter.com/T6iYFh0Z56
— DuXnPuX🦆🏒 (@DucksNPucks) October 21, 2017
Better At Every Position
How did the Habs win? From Carey Price out, they played a strong game. The defense looked better, and the forwards scored.
What do you get when you mix some resilience, special teams and stellar play between the pipes? A decisive win, that's what.
READ -> https://t.co/EDw6Gpwg7k #GoHabsGo— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 25, 2017
The Price is Right
Last night, Carey Price started the slow process of reversing his 1-5-1 record and upped his dismal .881 save percentage (SV%). He made two key saves, one on the first play of the game against Aleksander Barkov. He made another big save on Barkov four minutes later. While Keith Yandle beat the Habs goaltender in the first period, Price finished with 26 saves and a .963 SV%.
Defensive Deluge
Shea Weber scored two goals including a power play blast and earned the first start of the game. In the locker room, he heaped praise on his teammates. “Chucky’s was a hard-work goal,” said Weber. “(Jonathan Drouin) made a great pass to (Brendan Gallagher) and then Chucky battled the guy in front to get to the rebound.”
While the Habs’ defense is clearly still adjusting, they managed puck possession and force low percentage shots on goal. To be successful, Claude Julien’s system requires a constant process of communication and adaptation. It appears breaking up the partnership of Jeff Petry and Karl Alzner was a good decision. Alzner and Jordie Benn played on the second defensive line, and Petry played with Brandon Davidson. While these pairings confound the notion that puck moving defenseman ought to be paired with more stay at home defenseman, they seemed to be effective.
Victor Mete (19) played his ninth game for the Canadiens last night. The rules of the Collective Bargaining Agreement give the Canadiens a choice: they can keep him in the NHL to continue to learn on the job, or return him to his junior team — the London Knights — and extend his entry-level contract by another season. If he stays with the team, he will be one year closer to becoming a restricted free agent. While far from ideal from a management point of view, sending him back to London seems unlikely. Not everyone agrees.
Offensive Insights
The best news came on offense. Montreal scored five goals for the first time this season. captain Max Pacioretty, Brendan Gallagher, and Alex Galchenyuk scored goals. Gallagher achieved a milestone when he set up Galchenyuk, for his 100th career assist. Center Jonathan Drouin also played very well with two assists and three shots on goal. On the power play, Drouin played at the point, dishing the puck and looking dangerous.
Next Game
The Canadiens face the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, October 26. The Kings beat up on the Habs last week, so here is hoping they can return the favor at home. Game time is 7:30 pm (EST).
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