Montreal Canadiens: 24 Thoughts As Habs Return To .500 With Win Over Blue Jackets
The Montreal Canadiens wrapped up a five game road trip last night with a visit to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The two teams find themselves sitting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and will likely be sitting near each other at the draft lottery in the spring.
The Blue Jackets are in turmoil as they can’t find room for Kent Johnson in the lineup, benched Johnny Gaudreau recently and made Patrik Laine a healthy scratch after the winger didn’t look great as a center.
Oh and they fired their coach before he coached them. Should lead to an interesting game. Here are 24 Thoughts on the Habs 22nd game of the season.
First Period Thoughts
Sam Montembeault starts tonight and it seems like he gets the easiest possible games all the time. Why is Cayden Primeau playing against the Florida Panthers tomorrow night after facing the Vegas Golden Knights and New Jersey Devils in his few starts, which Montembeault gets the putrid Blue Jackets? Isn’t Montembeault supposed to be the future starter… or are they just trying to make him look good so they can trade him?
Kaiden Guhle nearly scores on the first shift of the game. Can’t say enough good things about this guy. With all the options on the blue line coming over the next couple years, I would be shocked if this guy didn’t turn into the team’s top pairing left defenseman. He’s huge, skates like the wind and is showing some offensive touch this season. Total package.
Now Guhle gets beaten on a race for an icing but the linesman blows it down anyway. You can see Guhle laughing as he makes his way to the bench. NHL officiating never ceases to amaze me with their inabilty to make the easiest of calls.
Haven’t seen Emil Bemstrom yet. He carved up the Canadiens last time these two teams met, wonder what happened to him. Oh, he passed through waivers and was sent to the minors? He literally only looked good against Montreal? Cool.
Jayden Struble steps up along the boards in the defensive zone and lands a heavy body check. I can’t see #47 and not think about Alex Radulov, but when I remember it is this Struble kid I am impressed by his physicality and defensive awareness in his own zone. Another young blue liner looking for full time employment on the Canadiens in the near future.
Eric Engels just tweeted there are three scouts from the Edmonton Oilers at tonight’s game. They are obviously watching Monteambeault so let’s hope he is phenomenal and then gets traded for Xavier Bourgault.
Adam Fantilli just had an excellent scoring chance in the slot but whiffed on the puck and then turned it over. I think this is the time when the home crowd starts calling their own teenaged high draft pick a bust and try to chase him out of town. Oh no, that’s only in Montreal? Okay, they’ll probably just let him develop properly and not go insane over every mistake? That’s a fascinating idea.
The scouts from out west must be impressed by Montembeault who stopped all 12 shots he faced in the opening period. If they came to watch any of the other 18 Canadiens to touch the ice tonight, they might not be as impressed. There were a lot of turnovers in that 20 minutes, including two brutal ones by Cole Caufield.