The Montreal Canadiens came from behind to defeat the New Jersey Devils 3-2 in a shootout Friday in New Jersey. The Canadiens came out with a lacklustre effort in the first period and got outshot 9-5 by the Devils. The few shots that the did have on net were quality scoring chances but Cory Schneider made some spectacular stops, including a diving glove save off a Tomas Plekanec shot that came on a 2 on 1 rush. For his part, Canadiens goalie Mike Condon was steady, calm and confident until early in the 2nd period when Adam Henrique opened the scoring for the Devils. Condon got a piece of the puck with his glove but not enough. It was difficult for the Canadiens to get any momentum as Lee Stempniak scored a power play goal to while P.K. Sub an was in the box to give the Devils a 2-0 lead and Greg Pateryn took another penalty shortly after. Fortunately, the Sven Andrighetto experiment continues to pay off as he scored with just under 5 minutes left in the second period to get the Canadiens into the game. The third period saw the Canadiens take control of the game as they outshot the Devils 8-4. The turning point came when Jacob Josefson took a penalty. While the Canadiens didn't score with the man advantage, they completely controlled the play spending the full two minutes in the zone. The Habs didn't even have the opportunity to change personnel as Subban, Andrei Markov, Plekanec, Pacioretty and Galchenyuk kept the pressure on. Therrien kept his top PP unit together for the remainder of the period and it paid off with dividends as Galchenyuk would score the tying goal with a terrific burst of speed and nice move. In overtime both teams took penalties but neither could capitalize on their opportunities. Galchenyuk got the shootout going scoring first but Josefson, the Devils second shooter would even it up. Andrighetto got the call as the Canadiens 5th shooter and he atoned for his overtime penalty scoring the winning goal. The Canadiens have now won a game in every fashion, regulation/overtime/shootout. The Devils will have an opportunity for revenge as the rematch takes place tonight in Montreal.
Props & Flops:
Props:
Alex Galchenyuk - He has elevated his game to a new level, coinciding with the arrival of Andrighetto. Without Alex Semin or a 4th liner weighing him down, Galchenyuk has the freedom to play his style and know that he is playing with linemates that can keep up with him. He is on a 4 game point streak recording 3 goals and 2 assists. It is obvious that he is playing with a lot more confidence.
Props:
Mike Condon - Thrust into the Canadiens starting position once again, Condon was able to keep his composure despite allowing the Devils to go up 2-0. He was there to shut the door in the third period and overtime and was much better this time around in the shootout, stopping â…˜ shooters.
Flops:
Andrei Markov - This isn't against Markov himself, however it is obvious that he has lost a step. While he was never the fastest player on the team, Markov has difficulty getting back in time when he pinches or is unable to quickly recover from a mistake. He is still a very good player and very much part of the Canadiens success. However, he played over 24 minutes last night should not be out there for 3 on 3 overtime when the Canadiens have other options like Nathan Beaulieu or even Tom Gilbert.
Props:
In Game Adjustments - The Canadiens needed offence in the 3rd period and Therrien decided to keep Galchenyuk on the wing, shorten his bench and move Eller to centre. This isn't a permanent solution to filling Brendan Gallagher’s spot but on a night that the Canadiens desperately needed a goal to tie the game up, Therrien made the right call. Even in the shootout Therrien changed it up a bit as Pacioretty and Eller were the Habs 3rd and 4th shooters rather than Plekanec and gave Andrighetto the chance, going on a hunch.
Props:
The Prudential Center - I was fortunate to go to the game last night and props to the Prudential Center and Devils fans. The atmosphere was great and Devils and Canadiens fans enjoyed friendly bantering and an all around good time. Note to the Bell Centre: it's really time to step up the concession stands with better quality food and more variety. The prices in NJ are just as exorbitant as Montreal’s but at least you are getting better value...
Flops:
RDS - They reported that Carey Price will be out at least a month but did not provide any further information. Therrien refuted the report claiming that Price had not even seen a doctor yet, which makes sense as the team including Price spent Thanksgiving together. While it would be great if the Canadiens and teams were more forthcoming about the extent of players injuries, in this case it seems that RDS jumped the gun… 5 Questions for Tonight’s rematch:
1) Who starts tonight, Condon or Dustin Tokarski?
2) Will Alexei Emelin be healthy enough to get back into the lineup tonight?
3) If Emelin plays, does Greg Pateryn sit?
4) Will Bud Holloway dress for his 2nd NHL game or will Christian Thomas get an opportunity to play?
5) Which team will have more energy tonight?
Pucks drops at 7pm.
Cheers & enjoy the game!