A Winning Habit
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Montreal Canadiens: 24 Thoughts On (Mostly Cayden Primeau) In Habs OT Win

By Ken MacMillan

Nov 9, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Red Wings defenseman Olli Maatta (2) and Montreal Canadiens right wing Joel Armia (40) battle for the puck in the first period at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 9, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Red Wings defenseman Olli Maatta (2) and Montreal Canadiens right wing Joel Armia (40) battle for the puck in the first period at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 9, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Montreal Canadiens right wing Joel Armia. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 9, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Montreal Canadiens right wing Joel Armia. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

Second Period

Canadiens kill off an early penalty but it was mostly just Primeau killing it. He made three great saves off Dylan Larkin in close on pretty much the same setup from down low as Larkin kept one-timing the puck on net from the slot. Tough play for a goalie but Primeau read it well each time.

Suzuki with great work on the penalty kill. Created two nearly identical turnovers at the blue line with the first leading to a breakaway where he hits the post and the second letting him kill plenty of time before getting the puck down the ice.

Gallagher looks like he is 25 years old. What is happening? Gets the puck in the offensive zone and wisely draws a defender to him and waits the perfect amount of time to let Monahan get open before saucering a perfect pass onto Monahan’s stick to lead to a chance. Three weeks ago I thought Gallagher needed to retire. Quicker turnarounds have only been successfully pulled off by The Undertaker at Wrestlemania.

Why are referees so reluctant to call penalty shots? Josh Anderson gets in all alone and is fouled from behind but they call a holding minor instead of a penalty shot. Off to the power play… which had been pretty good this season.

Monahan scored on the ensuing power play and the Habs kind of get away with one again. Monahan knocked Moritz Seider’s stick into the rafters and as Seider took off to get it the puck gets to the front of the net where Monahan pulls it to the forehand and buries it over James Reimer’s pad. James Reimer still plays hockey?!?

Nevermind! The awesome, amazing, wonderful, stupid offside rule negates a little more offense in a league starved for it. Caufield’s skate is about a quarter of an inch offside as the Habs entered the zone 30 seconds before the goal so it does not count. I get we want to go back and gets calls right, but it wasn’t a breakaway goal because the guy scoring it was eight feet offside. It’s like half a skate length long before the puck ever got to the net. Silly rule.

When did the Yzerplan become “get every veteran possible”? Chiarot, Petry, Olli Maatta, JT Compher, Andrew Copp, David Perron, Christian Fischer, Alex Debrincat, Justin Holl, Klim Kostin, Daniel Sprong, Jake Walman and Reimer all brought in via free agency and trade. I thought teams were supposed to rebuild through the draft?

Christian Fischer punches one into the Habs net…literally. The puck bounced up high and he swatted at it with his hand and redirected it into the net. The referees gather to watch the video review, see Fischer punch the puck into the net (and now I love reviews because…. oh wait it counts for some reason.) The Magic 8-Ball that is used in the review room must have come up “call on the ice stands.” The rule states it counts if the puck happens to bounce off a player’s equipment and in but you can not direct the puck into the net with anything but your stick. Sure looked like he actually pushed it into the net with his glove.

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