The Montreal Canadiens concluded their seven game road trip with a convincing 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, earning a possible ten of fourteen points over that span. Before the road trip had even began the Canadiens were in for a tough time, missing regulars Alex Galchenyuk, Andrei Markov, Andrew Shaw, David Desharnais and Greg Pateryn. Against the Maple Leafs they were facing a near mission impossible as Brendan Gallagher fractured his hand the match before against the Dallas Stars and Paul Byron suffered an upper body injury that same night. Instead, head coach Michel Therrien had his team ready to play and they rewarded him with his 400th career NHL win.
Max Pacioretty opened the scoring just 20 seconds into the game off of a perfect pass from Alexander Radulov. He has now scored at least one goal in three consecutive games and has been hot for awhile now with seven goals in his last ten games and fifteen in his last twenty. Artturi Lehkonen gave the Canadiens a quick 2-0 lead before the game was four minutes old as Frederik Andersen let in a weak one that squeezed through between his blocker and chest protector.
Perhaps the Maple Leafs slow start was due to having played Friday night against the New Jersey Devils. However, they have been one of the league’s hottest teams for a reason as of late, with a record of 7-1-2 in their last ten games before hosting the Canadiens. As the Canadiens took ill-advised penalties, the Maple Leafs used their speed and skill to even the score with two goals on the powerplay in the first period. Fortunately for the Canadiens, Nikita Scherbak scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game with just 0.9 seconds remaining in the period to give the team a 3-2 lead heading into the intermission.
Radulov scored what would prove to be the game winning goal on an early powerplay in the second period to give the Canadiens a 4-2 lead. James Van Riemsdyk made it close with a goal towards the end of the period, taking advantage of the Canadiens third defensive unit of Ryan Johnston and Mark Barberio. Michael McCarron scored an insurance goal in the third period as he beat Andersen with a sharp angle shot from the corner.
It was almost incredulous that the Canadiens managed to beat the Maple Leafs for the 13th consecutive game. The stars were perfectly aligned for the Leafs to finally defeat the Canadiens, facing a lineup with seven players who spent time in the AHL this season, playing at home and full of confidence due to their strong play as of late. That the Canadiens were victorious on a night that Carey Price let in three goals is impressive to say the least. These are not last year’s Canadiens. Perhaps it is time to stop waiting for the wheels to fall off. Puck props and flops:
Props:
Michel Therrien - Maybe, just maybe Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin knew something when he famously said that he would not want to be in a foxhole with anyone but the kindly ol’ coach. Therrien earned his 400th NHL victory in a game that the Canadiens should not have won, at least on paper. He has learned numerous lessons from last year’s disastrous season and has been able to keep the team together and playing well while battling through adversity. It is not just that the Canadiens are putting together points and winning, it is that they are playing well even when they have lost. On paper his lines might look weak but on the ice they are performing and getting the job done and then some.
Alexander Radulov - It was obvious that he was on a mission from even before the puck was dropped as he battled for position on the game’s opening faceoff. His assist on Pacioretty's opening goal was nearly a copy and paste of so many of his previous helpers. Radulov has made controlling the puck and winning battles behind the net an art form and his ability to send a perfect pass to the open man is second to none. How much longer until his extension is signed?
Nikita Scherbak - His first NHL game could not have been scripted any better, scoring his first goal in the league to swing the momentum back in the Canadiens favor right before the first period ended. His confidence was evident as his moves to the net were the perfect demonstration as to why his skill and development is so important for the future of the Canadiens. Some may have preferred that he had started the game in the top six but it was likely much easier for him to make his debut playing with Michael McCarron, a frequent enough linemate in St. John’s and close friend. That he immediately earned powerplay time on the second unit showed the belief that the coaches have in him and he rewarded them with a big goal.
Great hands by Scherbak! His first NHL goal: pic.twitter.com/Qh1cVi0DMR
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) January 8, 2017
Expectations have been high on Scherbak from the moment the Canadiens drafted him in the first round of the 2014 NHL draft. A skilled forward, he has had to learn to consistently play a 200 foot game night in and night out. His first NHL game and goal was a momentous occasion but it remains to be seen how he plays over the next stretch of games. It would not be surprising if he still needs some time in St. John’s to pull it all together but his future potential certainly appears to be bright.
Shea Weber - Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock seemingly has a mancrush on Weber as he cannot stop praising him when asked about the hulking rearguard. His “Man Mountain… was in full force against the Leafs as Weber was a beast at even strength and on the powerplay. He led the Canadiens with 26:14 minutes of play, two assists, five shots on net, four blocked shots and one hit. Not to mention Weber stood up for Price when the Leafs started to try and run the goaltender. Weber is one player that you do not want to get on his bad side..
Michael McCarron - His strong play since being called up is making it nearly impossible for him to be taken out of the lineup once reinforcements are finally healthy again. On the fourth line he is playing physical, strong in both ends but usually is spending more time in his opponent's side of the ice than his own. His willingness to drop the gloves against Matt Martin demonstrated that he will not let his teammates get pushed around. Hopefully though McCarron will not have to answer that call too often though as he is more valuable to the Canadiens on the ice than off of it.
Mitch Marner - The diminutive forward had an outstanding game for the Maple Leafs. Marner was involved in all three of their goals, collecting three assists on the night and driving the play whenever he was on the ice. With his team trailing, Babcock repeatedly sent out Marner on the penalty kill in order to spark some offense and the strategy almost worked. The rookie is fun to watch on the ice and will be apart of this rivalry for years to come.
Flop:
The Canadiens penalty kill - Again. The Canadiens are going from bad to worse on the penalty kill. Carey Price can only do so much on his own. Opponents are outworking the Canadiens and are quicker to the puck. It seems as though Shea Weber and Alexei Emelin have a particularly hard time when they are defending down a man as the duo were on for both of the Maple Leafs goals in the first period. For a duo that are so successful at shutting down opponents at even strength, they are struggling on the penalty kill. Will need to look at these stats more closely to examine why.
Canadiens return to the ice Monday when they host the Washington Capitals.
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