Montreal Canadiens Game Reactions: Sticking to the Program

After a rollercoaster of a hockey game, the Montreal Canadiens walked out of the Bell Center with two points beating the New York Rangers 5-4.

They almost got us, hahaha they almost got us! It looks like the Montreal Canadiens are getting to the point where every game is going to invoke extreme emotion from fans. If they’re going to lose, they’re going to get completely beaten. However if they win, they’re going to make us think that they’re going to cough up a 3-0 lead, but still continue to out score the New York Rangers.

Montreal ended their three-game home stint with a 5-4 win against the Rangers. This was the kind of game the Habs needed even though some of the frustrating tendencies from previous ones reared their ugly head. The team’s record is now 3-7-2 giving them seven points on the season.

The Habs will be on the road for the next four games starting with the Ottawa Senators on Monday. Montreal will then be at home for a crucial eight. If anything can help turn this season alone, it will be those games in mid November.

However, this, “win one, lose one”, pattern the Montreal Canadiens have been following will keep them right where they are. They need to put together some kind of streak, and it needs to be done soon.

Thoughts and Observations

It looks like the Montreal Canadiens win if they score at least five goals. Claude Julien has been strong on the fact that the bounces will come their way if they stick to the plan. If you look at just the numbers (via naturalstattrick.com), the team didn’t play any differently.

They both outshot and out-chanced the Rangers all game. The difference was that the Habs managed to finish on those chances. The letters of this game are PD for Phillip Danault. He was an absolute beast racking up four points by the final buzzer.

Ondrej Pavelec getting the start could’ve been a blessing for the Canadiens, and this game proved why. Three of their five goals were off rebounds let out by the Rangers’ goaltender which they thankfully finished on.

Paul Byron opened the scoring for the team as that top line was generating pressure in the offensive zone. The Rangers were running around a bit, and Jonathan Drouin was able to set Byron up pretty well in the slot for his third goal of the season.

Montreal added to their goal-themed first period with Alex Galchenyuk who also got his third of the year on the power play. Brendan Gallagher won the puck battle and send a cross-crease pass to Galchenyuk for the tap in. The two were generating a lot of pressure together whenever they were both on the ice. Julien seemed to take notice of this adding Gallagher to the fourth line for some time.

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Danault scored his second off a nicely placed shot by Andrew Shaw on the 2-on-1. The rebound, our word of the night, came right to him and he made no mistake. If you need further proof of how well the Habs dominated that first period, the Rangers did not have a shot for the remaining 10 minutes.

Then things started to, “return to form”. The intensity the Montreal Canadiens had decreased a little bit as the Rangers scored two goals to get them within one. Victor Mete did not look good on Rick Nash‘s 3-2 goal as it was his turn over that resulted in the odd man rush the other way. He didn’t see too much playing time after that one. However, the Habs got back into the swing of things with Max Pacioretty making it 4-2 off another rebound.

The Rangers tied the game in the third period. It was 3-0, and they managed to tie the game. Tomas Plekanec was on the ice for the next two goals. He lost Mika Zibanejad in front freeing him to score, and the tying goal came bounced off of him in front of the net.

Fans were all panicking at this point. That was until Danault scored the go ahead goal from what? Yes you guessed it, a rebound.

The Montreal Canadiens could’ve done without making it that close, but they held on and got the win.

Mete and Plekanec had rough nights, but Carey Price didn’t look too good on some goals against either. He was caught from the net twice which made it easy for Nash and Zibanejad to score. However, he made the big saves when it counted and that’s all you can ask for from your starting goaltender.

Hopefully the Habs don’t have to make these next games that exciting. A lot of things went their way, but they can’t fall into the trap of trying to outscore their problems.

Next: Reway and the Habs Part Ways

What did you make of the game? Can the Montreal Canadiens go on a run? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.