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Thoughts on the Habs' 2-1 loss to the Ducks, by Andrew Saadalla |
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Here are a few quick hits regarding last night’s 2-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center:
- David Desharnais played one of his best games in recent years, dare I say. He had five shots on goal, showcased speed that we often forget he boasts, but was nonetheless held off of the score sheet. He looked involved and ready to make a difference, and played a respectable 12:39 against a team that unfortunately knocked him off the puck too easily. Let’s hope Michel Therrien does not start giving him too many responsibilities.
- Artturi Lehkonen was ready to make a difference practically all by himself. He fired two shots on net and seems to have developed a surprising chemistry with Desharnais, although we all know how long line combinations tend to stick together under the head coach…
- Speaking of shots, only three players did not register any: Tomas Plekanec, Jeff Petry, and Alex Galchenyuk (!). The latter had a golden opportunity on his stick during the third period, but fanned on a beautiful passing play.
- Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher each had an assist on Andrew Shaw’s gritty goal, and I certainly appreciated the captain’s tenacity in that game. He was buzzing around the net all evening, as was Gallagher, and they set Shaw up perfectly for the only goal the team would score on the night. Both Gallagher and Pacioretty took four shots on net.
- Shea Weber played 25:28 of virtually mistake-free hockey. He took a mindless penalty after being dropped behind the net- which, by the way, marked the first time that I saw Weber fall this season- but added two hits combined with his partner Alexei Emelin’s two body checks and five shots on net. Only Alexander Radulov (6 SOG) had more than his Russian counterpart.
- Andrew Shaw. Seriously? Throwing a tantrum like that at the end of the game and swearing as lividly as he did at the referees is never a smart idea. There’s nothing to gain, and up until that moment, he was arguably the Habs’ best player. Good for him for showing passion, but come on. That was excessive and completely unnecessary, and you can bet that the officials will keep those antics in the back of their minds from here on out.
- It’s unfortunate to see Torrey Mitchell and Phillip Danault having a hard time contributing offensively lately. Their fiery start to the season was noteworthy, but they seem to have fallen off a little. Still, they continue to play a brand of smart and fast hockey in the limited ice-time allotted to them.
- The power play went 0-for-3 last night, but Anaheim deserves credit for shutting down any real opportunities for the Habs to score with the man advantage. Also, Therrien’s troops killed off 5-on-3 and 5-on-4 successive penalties, so at least there’s that.
- Goalie showdown: Carey Price made 36 saves (some of them incredible) on the 38 shots he faced while John Gibson was outstanding in stopping 39 of the 40 shots he faced.
- The Habs’ 4-4-1 away record is starting to become worrisome, is it not? They are 12-1-1 on home ice, and this road trip was supposed to be an opportunity for them to get away from the media noise in Montreal…
On to the next one, as the Canadiens take on the San Jose Sharks on Friday night.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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