As the Canadiens edge ever closer to playing within their identity, the Bruins intentionally tossed their own out the window in an attempt to stem their losing ways in Montreal. Boston's plan was composure and discipline, but the result was passivity, as the Canadiens passed and skated through them with ease, en route to a 5-1 thrilling victory in front of their fans.
Who can blame the Bruins for trying something different?
Claude Julien parked Tuukka Rask; a decision likely prompted by a combination of his abysmal record against Montreal and a less than stellar performance against the Leafs a night previous.
After the last game between these two, in which the Bruins completely lost their cool and abandoned their structure, it seemed a clear mandate to stay focused and away from the line they habitually cross against Montreal.
The Bruins took the grizzly out of the bear for this one, straying so far from the line that they lulled themselves into hibernation. And a confident Canadiens team was left to continue building on the positives of their last three games, downing their arch rival in a dominant fashion, winning in virtually every aspect of the game.
The structure in Montreal's defensive game has returned with an aggressive forecheck, quick puck movement and an apparent speed advantage in all three zones. You have to think a big part of that is the rhythm they've established as chemistry is taking shape on each of their lines.
The driving force of late has been Lars Eller's line with Jiri Sekac and Brandon Prust, and last night was no exception with the former accounting for Montreal's go-ahead goal in the second period, and Sekac managing the team's first powerplay goal in 11 contests.
But what this line is doing goes well beyond manufacturing offense, they're providing momentum for the other lines with sustained pressure in the offensive zone.
Sekac's speed, size and skill is on full display at both ends of the rink. He's strong on the puck, he's in your face on the forecheck, he's over the line with possession and fast to retrieve it when he's not, he finishes his checks, and he's got the skill-set to set up plays as easily as he finishes them. Paired with two players who can really dig their way out of the corners; two players that have the defensive wherewithal to handle tough match ups, this line is opening up the game for Montreal's offense.
And the offense is certainly coming to life, albeit not before 20 minutes are under their belts. For a ninth straight contest, the Canadiens failed to find the back of the net in the first period. Not that they didn't have chances. Max Pacioretty had two golden opportunities before burying two in the second and third periods, respectively.
Dale Weise managed a Gordie Howe hat trick within 4:17 of ice time before two periods had been played. Weise's determination netted him a penalty shot, which he plowed through Niklas Svedberg's five-hole at full speed. This came after jumping Gregory Campbell for a no-contest result shortly into the first period. Weise completed the trick on a great give-and-go play with Max Pacioretty that put the Canadiens up 3-1.
Nathan Beaulieu, who started the game by completing the fourth line, was close to his own Gordie Howe hat trick. He dropped Matt Fraser like a sack of potatoes before assisting on Sekac's powerplay marker to give the Canadiens the 5-1 edge.
Sergei Gonchar directed 11 shots towards Boston's net, helping the Canadiens hold that decisive edge in the possession game. He breathed life into the lifeless powerplay, as did the other unit with displaced P.K. Subban running his own show next to Tom Gilbert.
After some great saves, and a goal allowed he'd probably like to have back, Carey Price got considerable rest in the latter two periods of the hockey game. He faced a total of 11 shots over that time, and none of them were grade 'A' scoring chances. None of them were even grade 'B' scoring chances.
A little over a week from now, Montreal will play their first game in Boston this season, but until then, they're building towards becoming the team their fans expect to see.
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1) Dale Weise has five assists this season, and four of them are primary ones to Max Pacioretty. That's two more primary assists to Pacioretty than David Desharnais has...If I knew how to embed a picture of sad Desharnais into this blog, I would...
After all the murder talk, and the healthy scratch, who'd have thought Weise would be the storyline in the way he was last night?
2) After all the babble about the powerplay's broken strategy and it having nothing to do with personnel, a change in personnel shifted the strategy significantly.
Nearly all the stuff I spoke about in
this blog came to life last night with Gonchar's inclusion in the lineup. Competition between two good units stimulated so much more activity on the Canadiens' powerplay. They should've had at least three goals with the man advantage last night.
Sure, it was a third unit that managed to break through in the end, with Beaulieu setting up Sekac on a rush play, but the chances they got on their conventional units was a glimmer of hope that's been far too distant from tangible thus far.
3) That was quietly Subban's best game of the season since the team's first one in Toronto. Managed the puck well, skated great, no real careless giveaways. Subban went about his business and was a force on the powerplay--where the Canadiens need him to be one.
Sure, he almost destroyed Galchenyuk with that shot, but at least he shot it. And his penalty at the end of the second period was the kind of penalty his teammates would be happy to put in the extra effort to kill off. He stood up for Sekac who got throttled by Milan Lucic, and Lucic--for possibly the first time ever in Montreal--kept his composure and put the Bruins' powerplay to work.
4) No Chara, no Thornton, no Boychuk, no Krejci, a subdued Marchand and a less than ornery Lucic is a big departure from the Bruins the Canadiens are used to seeing.
That was the first game Pacioretty's ever played against the Bruins without Chara in his face at every turn.
At 4-1, and the game clearly out of reach, you'd have thought something rough might be coming. But no. Nothing. No doubt, they're saving it for next time these teams meet in Boston.
I'll reiterate: The game plan failed the Bruins in this one. Big time. When you stray so far from you're identity, you get lost. And the Bruins looked completely lost in this game.
Here's Milan Lucic from Arpon Basu's game story on NHL.com:
Lucic was asked after the game if he thought the Bruins might have been too composed, lacking the edge that typifies their play on most nights.
"I don't know. Maybe a little," Lucic said after pausing to think about it. "We're a team that thrives on playing with emotion, and maybe you're right, maybe we needed to play with more emotion and more bang. It wasn't there tonight. So next time we play them, hopefully we play with that emotion that gives us success."
They came into the Bell Centre with the focus entirely on them. It was about their 6-1 pasting to the Leafs--a team they've dominated for years--the night previous; about them obviously looking ahead to the Canadiens, and everyone expected they'd be coming with a ferocious game.
After five straight wins, the Bruins gave up four points to the Leafs and Canadiens on successive nights.
5) Had a hunch Svedberg was starting this game. When Rask came out for the Leafs, it was obvious that was the plan. Rask getting pulled didn't have Julien deviate from the plan.
Svedberg was lit in his first regular season start in Montreal.
Expect Rask next time.
6) So, Weise has more primary assists to Pacioretty than Desharnais does, and Eller has as many points as Desharnais does.
The team is winning. Consistently winning. Desharnais could have more points to his name if Pacioretty finished some of the plays he set up for him, but still, how much longer can he hold his position with the depth Montreal boasts at centre?
Anyone else curious what it would look like if Pacioretty took Prust's spot next to Eller and Sekac, and Desharnais played 14:57 instead of 18:42?
Not advocating they break up Eller's line right now, but Pacioretty's starting to catch fire, and it doesn't seem like he's needed Desharnais to stimulate that as much as he has in previous years.
7) Scary moment for Tom Gilbert in the third period. That looked pretty close to being a neck breaker. He got up of his own volition, though he didn't play another shift in the game after that.
8) Alex Galchenyuk did everything but score a goal in this one. His shift on the powerplay in the second period was just obscene. He and Subban were dancing up a storm in the Bruins' end.
9) Gonchar played shifts with Gilbert to start, but as the game wore on, he looked most comfortable to the right of Alexei Emelin. That combo could be a defensive nightmare, or it could bring something better out of Emelin. It'll probably be a bit of both. But the coach said he really liked that pairing after the game, so expect it to stick for a bit.
10) Flyers are up next. Emotional letdown? Or can the Habs make it five in a row??
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