|
A Super Bowl Weekend Sweep For the Montreal Canadiens |
|
|
|
|
|
The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 in a shootout on Super Bowl Sunday, marking the first time since the end of November that the club has been able to post consecutive wins. It would be prudent to suggest that the Canadiens are back and their woes over. However for at least a little while the players and fans, especially the young fans who were in attendance over the weekend, can enjoy the victories and the feeling of being able to win again. The wins will only be a building block if the Canadiens are able to continue with that effort on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning and earn at least a point against their division rival.
The hero of the weekend was none other than goaltender Ben Scrivens. He shut the door on the Edmonton Oilers early on Saturday to give his team a chance to find their bearings, and was rewarded with his teammates scoring 5 goals for the first time since January 1st. Against the Hurricanes he allowed the first goal but stood tall the rest of the game, determined not to let anything else get by him. The Canadiens were able to tie the game on a patented Max Pacioretty shot but that would be it for scoring in regulation and overtime as Cam Ward matched Scrivens save for save. The shootout proved to be goalies battle going 5 rounds before Sven Andrighetto blasted the winning goal by Ward and Scrivens stopped Eric Staal to ensure the Canadiens victory.
It seemed as though head coach Michel Therrien’s trust in Lars Eller grew overnight as he was the most utilized forward on the day, playing 20:02. Perhaps even more surprisingly, the forward who had the 2nd most ice time was not Tomas Plekanec, nor was it Max Pacioretty. It was Alex Galchenyuk who played 19:01. Since being moved to LW, Galchenyuk has seen his minutes go up. A positive for Galchenyuk though I still believe to be detrimental to his future development as a center. The Canadiens have won 2 in a row and so Therrien is unlikely to revert and make him a center just yet. Interestingly in the AHL, young Nikita Scherbak has been utilized as a center for the past three games in St. John’s. Is this a sign that the Canadiens are looking for a plan B or C at center if they decide not to pursue Galchenyuk as a center?
It comes as no surprise that today’s practice was made optional as the Canadiens prepare to face the Lightning at the Bell Centre on Tuesday. Only a few players decided to partake:
Carey Price did not skate this morning but Therrien said that should not be viewed as a setback for the star goalie. Therrien did confirm that Ben Scrivens would get his 3rd straight start against Tampa Bay. Scrivens is playing with confidence and likewise his teammates are able to play with confidence as well knowing that Scrivens is making the big saves right now. It is not a knock on Mike Condon who has done well as a rookie backup goaltender, thrust into the starting position. However, even we his did his part to keep the games close the Canadiens were unable to score. Therrien has not choice but to go with the hot hand and ride it out as long as he can…
Any lineup changes will only be announced tomorrow. Paul Byron is almost ready to return to action and could dress sometime this week. Regarding the scratching of Nathan Beaulieu, Therrien said:
I would argue that consistency is a battle for almost all of the Canadiens as of late and Beaulieu is the goat because of his age. I don’t know if Jeff Petry is battling through an injury but he is not the same player that he was in the first 20+ games. Skaters are getting in behind him and communication between and his defensive partners (be it Emelin or Beaulieu) seem to be lacking. After playing a strong game against Edmonton, Tom Gilbert had difficulty against the Hurricanes with 4 giveaways and difficulty settling the puck on his stick. On the other hand, since Therrien publicly acknowledged the need to manage Andrei Markov’s minutes, Markov has played much better and effectively at both ends of the ice. Nor did Therrien succumb to temptation to play Markov in overtime against Carolina. This will only help Markov and the Canadiens in the future. In the long run, Nathan Beaulieu gives the Canadiens a better chance to win when he is in the lineup. Hopefully when he returns to the lineup he will be motivated and play as strongly as he did following his last benching.
Therrien also described Sven Andrighetto as:
This is how he played when he made Alex Semin an afterthought. He has found nice chemistry and little pressure playing with Lars Eller and Tomas Fleischmann. The Canadiens need offence from all of their lines, similarly to the beginning of the season and this line certainly has potential to chip in.
Tuesday’s contest will be a great test for the Canadiens. Will they be able to stand up and play hard against Tampa Bay, a team they are 6 points back of and trying to catch, or will the bad habits sneak back in? Check back tomorrow for the game preview.
Cheers & follow along!
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»