The Montreal Canadiens went down 1-0 just 48 seconds into the game. But they rebounded. Josh Anderson tied the game midway through the first period, and Zachary Bolduc gave them the lead in the second. Alexandre Carrier doubled the Canadiens' lead with less than seven minutes to go, before William Nylander cut into Montreal’s lead with just over four minutes left in the game. It was not the Canadiens’ best game, but they held on for the 3-2 win. They looked slow and sloppy early, but eventually found their groove, with a little help from Jakub Dobes. There are positives to take away from the game, but a couple of things stood out for the wrong reasons.
Game Changers
Jakub Dobes
Was Dobes’ final stretch of last season just a hot streak, or is that who he really is? It is only one game, but he looked just as good as he did during their playoff run. Toronto scored on their second shot, but Dobes shut the door for the rest of the first period. The Canadiens started slowly, struggling to get the puck out of their zone. They could not sustain pressure in the offensive zone, but Dobes bailed them out until they got going. Toronto had chances to double its lead, but none bigger than Auston Matthews' one-timer from the top of the circle. Dobes was ready, challenging Matthews to the shot, keeping it out with an outstretched pad. Dobes finished the night stopping 26 of 28 shots faced, and was a major reason why the Canadiens were able to leave Toronto with the win.
Kirby Dach
There was a lot of noise surrounding Kirby Dach heading into the season. He signed a one-year extension in the offseason, raising questions about his future and making him an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. Some questioned his compete level, but Dach gave Habs fans a performance to be optimistic about for the rest of the season. His compete level should not be in question, especially after his second effort to retrieve the puck led to the Canadiens’ opening goal of the season. He looked energized and physical, finishing the game with two hits. Dach needed a quick start to the season to silence some of the critics and did exactly that.
Canadiens’ fourth line
The Canadiens' trio of Jake Evans, Anderson, and Bolduc was the most effective line all game. When every other line seemed slow, they had their foot on the gas pedal the entire time. They brought energy, physicality, and speed. They generated scoring chances all game long. Anderson finished the game with a goal and an assist. For the second straight season, Bolduc found the back of the net on opening night. Evans did not record a point, but won 58% of his faceoffs and was excellent on the penalty kill. The trio was listed as the team’s fourth line, and if you can get this type of performance from them regularly, the Canadiens are going to be a tough out for just about anyone.
Head Scratchers
Canadiens’ new top trio
The Canadiens' revamped top trio did not look great in the opener. The Canadiens moved Juraj Slafkovsky to the second line to ease the pressure on whoever would be playing centre on the second line. The move made sense. Kreider could replace Slafkovsky’s physicality, while also being someone who could crash the net and put back second-chance opportunities. It just did not work tonight. All three were left off the scoresheet, with Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki both finishing the game with a plus/minus of -1. Scoring chances were limited, and the chemistry did not seem to be there yet. It is just one game, and it is not something to be worried about, but they did not start the season on a high note.
Canadiens losing out on Marchenko
When reports emerged that Kirill Marchenko wanted a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Canadiens were a team that was named as a suitor from the start. Frank Seravalli even reported that the Canadiens made a borderline insane offer to acquire Marchenko. Nothing materialized, and he ended up getting traded to the Maple Leafs in a blockbuster that included Matthew Knies. Marchenko made the late trip to Toronto the night before the game and was still one of the best players on the ice, recording an assist just 48 seconds into the game. If the rumours were true that the Canadiens made a real attempt to trade for Marchenko, he gave the Canadiens an early glimpse of what they missed out on.
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