The Montreal Canadiens went 1-1 in their back to back games on the weekend as they lost 3-2 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night in Raleigh but came back the following evening to host and defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1. The result against the Hurricanes was particularly disappointing as the Canadiens dominated the opening 40 minutes of play but only had one goal to show for it as Cam Ward was excellent. In the third period the players took their foot off of the gas as they allowed the their opponent to take control of the game and capitalize on their opportunities. Fortunately, the Canadiens were able to quickly put their loss behind them and did not let their legs lag behind in what was a fast and physical affair against the Maple Leafs.
Puck props & flops from the weekend:
Prop:
Alexander Radulov - He did not make the trip to Carolina as he was still recover was his illness and his absence was duly felt. Without Radulov in the lineup, Alex Galchenyuk was unable to generate very much offense although his linemates were Paul Byron and the struggling Brendan Gallagher. The next night a healthy Radulov jumpstarted the Canadiens, assisting on Byron’s game opening goal as well as Galchenyuk’s power play winner in the second period. Radulov has been a consistent offensive threat each time he is on the ice. His determination is unwavering as he never takes a shift off. He does not know how to give less than 110%. And he does it all with a smile and for the pure joy of playing the game of hockey.
Prop:
Shea Weber - It never gets tiring to see him tee up from the blueline. Six of his seven goals have come with the man advantage and when his shot does not find the back of the net, it is still creating second opportunities for his teammates. Physically Weber is a force of nature, demanding respect from his opponents. His bone crunching yet clean hit on William Nylander set the tone for the game. His eight blocked shots against the Maple Leafs were impressive. It has been 19 games into the NHL season and Weber has yet to have an off night. Instead he leads the Canadiens with three game winning goals and is a +16 for the season. He sits only behind Galchenyuk and Radulov for points.
Flop:
David Desharnais-Max Pacioretty duo - Desharnais is in a catch 22. When put in the right situation he has demonstrated that he can still contribute to the Canadiens success. However, whenever things start to go well for him it seems as though the coaching staff insist on asking too much of the veteran and tries for the umpteenth time to rekindle his old magic with Pacioretty. Sure the flame might catch a little light for the odd shift together. Unfortunately the repeated experiment this young season has been a failure. The other problem is that with Tomas Plekanec’s offensive struggles, Desharnais has been the recipient of additional playing time such as on the powerplay or at the end of the game. He should not be put into that position but the lack of depth at center on the Canadiens forces him to play in these situations. As well as Byron as played on the top line, it is time for Max Pacioretty to be given the opportunity to play on the Canadiens top line with Radulov and Galchenyuk in an effort to get the captain going.
Prop:
Andrei Markov - No one could have predicted that Markov would be this good to start the season. He has been much more consistent compared to a season ago as his minutes are monitored more carefully, save for against the Leafs when he played over 24 minutes in the game. His play on Andrew Shaw’s goal against the Hurricanes helped breathe some life back into the game. Can he continue on this pace at 37 years young? Only time will tell but so far he has shown nothing to suggest otherwise.
Prop:
Charles Hudon & Chris Terry - A roster spot opened up as the team needed an extra body to bring to North Carolina to replace Radulov. Fans had been calling for the promotion of Charles Hudon from St. John’s and their wish was granted as he was called up Thursday afternoon and only got confirmation that he would play following the warm-up on Friday night. He replaced Sven Andrighetto in the lineup and it was the Swiss forward who was returned to the Ice Caps once Radulov was cleared to return. Hudon played with a lot of energy against the Hurricanes and was constantly involved in the play earning his third NHL assist in four games. Chris Terry did everything but score against his former team. He has not looked out of place in his three games with the Canadiens as he is always involved in the play and has been very responsible defensively.
Flop:
Alexei Emelin and Matt Martin (Leafs) - Both Emelin and Martin had very cheap hits towards the end of the game. Neither of those hits have a place in hockey. To make matters worse, Martin dropped his gloves immediately post his hit on Nathan Beaulieu and the Hab was not ready to take him on. Emelin shoved James Van Riemsdyk into the boards in the dying seconds of the game, a particularly ill-timed hit. Both recipients of the hits are fortunate that they were not seriously hurt.
Speaking of ugly.
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) November 20, 2016
Emelin on JvR pic.twitter.com/SLM8D5iBZv
Well that was ugly by Martin. pic.twitter.com/GtChOcOlUo
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) November 20, 2016
Prop:
Habs vs. Leafs rivalry - Although it was the Canadiens 12th consecutive victory over the Maple Leafs, there was a feeling of the old rivalry back in the air on Saturday night the Bell Centre. It was a hard fought, fast game filled with hits and scoring chances. These two teams are starting to remember why they do not like each other and that is great from an entertainment perspective. The Leafs are an exciting team to watch and it will not be long until they are able to get one back from the Canadiens.
The Canadiens will return to practice on Monday morning as they prepare to host the Ottawa Senators Tuesday night at the Bell Centre.
Cheers & follow along! Follow @Jenbcutler