Canadiens Torch The Devils 6-2
MONTREAL, QC – After two disappointing loses to the Arizona Coyotes and the Buffalo Sabres, the Montreal Canadiens came back with a vengeance, scorching the New Jersey Devils 6-2 at the Bell Centre on Saturday night.
The Devils took the lead in this contest early in the first period when former Hab Michael Cammalleri deflected a point shot off the stick of defenseman Peter Harrold, beating Canadiens’ goaltender Carey Price over his left shoulder.
To make things worse, it looked like Devils’ netminder wouldn’t make it through the first period, after Max Pacioretty cranked a hard snap shot off of Keith Kinkaid‘s collarbone, causing him considerable discomfort. Kinkaid shook it off, however, and remain in the goal.
The Canadiens dominated the period with 79% puck possession, and while they out-shot the Devils 14-3 in the opening period, they went to the locker room trailing by a goal.
It was more of the same to start the second period. The Canadiens peppered the Devils’ backup with rubber, but more often than not, they hit him square in the chest, and not allowing themselves many second chance opportunities.
The allure of the game changed midway through the second, when Dainius Zubrus took a double-minor for high sticking, after he clipped Canadiens’ defenseman P.K. Subban after a face-off deep in the Habs’ end.
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Pucks and Pitchforks
The Canadiens’ power play, which has been heavily criticized this season for its lack of productivity, scored 1:31 into the first penalty when Andrei Markov fired a slap shot, through a screen provided by Pacioretty, and past the outstretched glove of Kinkaid to tie the game at 1.
The lead change was completed just a minute later, when P.K. Subban, who assisted on Markov’s power play marker, fed a beautiful backhand pass into the slot to a wide open Lars Eller, who blasted a one-timer past Kinkaid. Eller’s goal was his first since he scored against the Carolina Hurricanes on December 29th, 2014, in a 3-1 victory.
The Habs were afforded a 5-on-3 power play for 49 seconds, when Travis Zajac and Peter Harrold were sent to the penalty box late in the second for cross-checking and hooking respectively.
Montreal took advantage late in the second penalty, when Tomas Plekanec found the twine on passes from Subban and Sergei Gonchar. The assist was Subban’s third of the game, giving him 13 points in his last 14 games.
Once again the Canadiens dominated on the shot clock, out-shooting New Jersey 16-9 in the second.
Feb 7, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New Jersey Devils center Jacob Josefson (16) scores a goal against Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price (31) during the third period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
The Devils got themselves within a single marker at 3:01 of the final period, when Jacob Josefson blew through the Canadiens’ defense and made a great move on Price, beating him just below his catching hand.
There was a lot of nervous energy in the building for the next few minutes, as the Devils pressed the Habs for the equalizer, but Carey Price was up to the task.
HabsNation was finally able to exhale at 12:01 of the third, when Tomas Plekanec scored his second goal of the night, on passes from Brendan Gallagher and Andrei Markov. The goal tied Plekanec with former Canadiens captain Saku Koivu for 27th on their all-time goal scoring list.
30 seconds later, Dale Weise notched his 7th goal of the season on passes from Pacioretty and David Desharnais.
Weise also closed out the scoring with just under five minutes left in the game, when Pacioretty fired a pass to the front of the net that Weise redirected behind Kinkaid.
Gallagher Snakebit
It looks like Brendan Gallagher may have to buy a goal. The diminutive Habs’ forward was robbed multiple times by Kinkaid in tight. The best of those stops came with less than three minutes left in the second period, after Gallagher had deked the Devils’ goalie out of his equipment, but couldn’t get the puck by the heel of his left pad.
Gilbert Still Struggling
Tom Gilbert continued to struggle in his own zone. The veteran defenseman had trouble make quality outlet passes from his own zone, and was spun around like a wind chime on Josefson’s third period goal. Often getting caught out of position following the puck, Gilbert needs to simplify his game, in order to maximize his defensive effectiveness.
The Canadiens left immediately after their win, as they head out to Boston to take on their bitter rivals, the Bruins, on Sunday night at 7:30 P.M.