Montreal Canadiens News and Notes: A Tale of Two Teams
Scores and News
The Montreal Canadiens won two games last week at the Bell center and now stand at 3-7-1 on the season. On Tuesday, the Habs dominated the Florida Panthers 5-1. Shea Weber scored two goals and Paul Byron, Alex Galchenyuk, and the captain Max Pacioretty all scored one. On Thursday, however, the team reverted to its more usual style of play. They were down by two goals early in the first period to the Los Angeles Kings. They never really recovered, losing 4-0.
On Saturday night, the Canadiens faced the New York Rangers. While the Habs went up by three goals early, the Rangers came back in the second period. The second period ended 4-3 Habs. Both teams scored in the third, and while the Rangers were pressing up to the final minute, the Habs held on to win 5-4. Paul Byron, Alex Galchenyuk, and Max Pacioretty all scored for the second time last week. Phillip Danault scored two goals and looked like he might score a third. He rang a shot off the post. Had it gone in, it would have meant his first career hat trick. Danualt was a star.
News
In other news, after being called up this week, Nikita Scherbak was injured after falling awkwardly against the Kings. He is now appearing on the injured reserve list.
Nikita Scherbak limped to the locker room after this play along the boards pic.twitter.com/M4HuFD2gWK
— Scott Matla (@scottmatla) October 27, 2017
In some rather sad news, the Montreal Canadiens placed Martin Reway on unconditional waivers. Reway, 22, had two assists in five games this season with Montreal’s AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket. Reway is expected to have his contract terminated by mutual agreement after clearing waivers. Many doubted Reway would be able to return to professional hockey at all. He missed the entire 2016-17 season after a virus led him to develop a heart condition. There was some surprise when Reway said that he was no longer taking medication during the 2017 training camp. It is unclear whether the 22-year-old Slovak will try to return to the game.
In news that should surprise no one, Victor Mete, 19, will stay in Montreal for the foreseeable future. He played his tenth game this week, which means Montreal will lose the first year of his entry-level contract and Mete will be one year closer to becoming a restricted free agent. Mete has been skating with Shea Weber on the top defensive pair since the beginning of the season and has been one of the Habs best defencemen.
Commentary
Some commentators are suggesting Montreal Canadiens forward Phillip Danault is their true number one center. While he may not be the most offensively dynamic forward, he continues to prove his worth to the organization. Danault was acquired in a steal of a trade when Bergevin sent Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann to the Chicago Blackhawks for a second-round pick and Danault.
After receiving a Bronx cheer from fans at the bell center on Thursday night, inexplicable fan favorite and hockey legend Don Cherry warned fans: “Remember you did that to Patrick Roy, and you know where he went.” Cherry made his comments during his famous Coaches Corner segment on Hockey Night in Canada.
Carey Price is off to a worrying start this season. One solution that few have considered is letting him sit a few games out. Kavan Young suggests part of the problem is Price is struggling to understand the formation of Julien’s defensive system. He states: “But we know Price is better than what he’s shown us, so it could be beneficial for him to sit and observe. He could study how his new defense core plays, as well as give himself the opportunity to get his mind back on track.”
In the cardiac news, it turns out being a fan of the Montreal Canadiens can be bad for your health. According to a research team from the Montreal Heart Institute: “Our results indicate that viewing a hockey game can be a source of an intense emotional stress as manifested by marked increases in heart rate.” For most fans it is the general manager, not the team, giving them heartburn.
Predictions and Previews
The folks over at DobberHockey are working with Sportsnet to compile a list of predictions. This week, they suggest the Habs are about to break out offensively. With four games in seven days, let’s hope they are right.
This week the Canadiens have four games on the road. On Monday they travel down the road a few hours for a showdown against the Ottawa Senators. Game time is 7:30 (EST).
On Thursday they play the Minnesota Wild. The Wild are struggling to fill some significant holes in their line up after injuries and unexpected surgeries to some key players. Game time is 8:00 (EST).
On Saturday they face Winnipeg Jets at 7:30 PM and wrap up a busy week of hockey against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. Game time on Sunday night is 7:30 PM.
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