The Montreal Canadiens took the first step towards putting the previous season behind them as they soundly defeated the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 4-1 to open the 2016-2017 NHL regular season. Despite Carey Price’s absence due to the flu, the Canadiens did not falter and provided backup goaltender Al Montoya with goal support. Spark plug Brendan Gallagher led the way with two goals as Torrey Mitchell and newcomer Andrew Shaw completed the scoring while Matt Moulson scored the Sabres lonely goal on a powerplay.
The game itself took a backseat to the injuries and slew foot that came out of it. Evander Kane left the game with likely broken ribs after he lost his footing and crashed into the boards when hit by Alexei Emelin.
Kane is in a lot of pain after the contact with Emelin pic.twitter.com/T5qlTO0eT8
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) October 14, 2016
In the third period Torrey Mitchell tried to avoid a Josh Gorges hit but ended up getting kneed in the head and had to leave the game as well.
Gorges knee on Mitchell. Hopefully Mitchell is alright, but not much Gorges could do to avoid him as he fell. pic.twitter.com/zd6PvEN3Rf
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) October 14, 2016
The worst action though was when Andrew Shaw once again crossed the line and slew footed Johan Larsson:
The Shaw slewfoot at the end of the game: pic.twitter.com/7ZutCs4xZb
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) October 14, 2016
Which leads to the first Props & Flops of the 2016-2017 season:
Props:
Al Montoya - He was exactly what the Canadiens needed as Montoya was pressed into duty unexpectedly. His calm, veteran demeanour was felt by the club and he made the necessary saves when the Sabres pressed. Montoya is exactly what the team needed behind Price and the team will have further confidence in him as it was announced that Price will not travel to Ottawa to play the Senators on Saturday night.
Flop:
Andrew Shaw - For most of the game, Shaw played his role perfectly. He was physical and involved in the game, driving to the net and opening up space for his linemates. His goal may not have been the prettiest buy as they say, you miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take. Shaw was developing chemistry with Daniel Carr and David Desharnais on the Canadiens third line and played on the powerplay and penalty kill as well. After his preseason suspension for boarding, Shaw admitted that he needed to control his emotions. With time winding down and the Canadiens up 4-1, there was absolutely no need for Shaw to slew foot Larsson. It was a dirty and unnecessary. In his short time with the Canadiens, Shaw has proven that he can be an effective contributor for the team. These types of plays will only hurt himself as he will undoubtedly face another suspension. Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin acquired Shaw to have a Stanley Cup winner, someone with grit who can play every forward position and in any situation. Not someone who will be suspended repeatedly by October 14th...
Props:
The Canadiens 4th line - Phillip Danault, Torrey Mitchell and Paul Byron were a very effective 4th line and perhaps the fastest such line in the NHL. Byron is earning every penny of his new contract by using his speed and giving it his all every shift. He did much of the work on Mitchell’s game winning goal. The trio have displayed some nice chemistry since the moment they were united in training camp. There was no news regarding Mitchell’s healthy in the postgame comments. However, I would expect Mitchell and Shaw to be out of the lineup for Saturday’s game and that Michael McCarron will get called up.
Flop:
Tomas Plekanec - While Plekanec led all forwards with 18:05 minutes of ice time, he seemed to be the weak link on the second line playing alongside rookie Artturi Lehkonen and Alexander Radulov. He has never been a flashy player and is usually Mr. Dependable. However, his game against the Sabres left much to be desired as he seemed to be going through the motions. Plekanec was even displaced on the powerplay as David Desharnais centered Radulov and Shaw on the team’s second man advantage. This is not a great cause for concern yet. It was only one game and hopefully he raises his level of play in the near future.
Props:
Greg Pateryn - He filled in quite admirably for the injured Jeff Petry as he logged 22:46 minutes of ice time playing in the top Markov. Pateryn had an outstanding training camp but was often overlooked by Nathan Beaulieu and the rise of Mikhail Sergachev. His decision making is quicker and he seems faster. Looked very comfortable and was quite solide in both ends of the ice. Pateryn was on the ice for the Sabre’s powerplay goal as both he and Alexei Emelin went to cover Sam Reinhart behind Montoya’s net leaving Moulson open for his goal. That was miscommunication by player’s who are not accustomed to playing together. Aside from that error, Pateryn had a near flawless night.
Flop:
Management of defensive minutes - As expected, Andrei Markov played over the 20 minutes that head coach Michel Therrien said that he would like him to play, logging 22:35 minutes of ice time. By contrast Nathan Beaulieu who played on the first pairing with Shea Weber only played 17:46 minutes, the second least utilized defenceman. Markov was still relied upon to kill too many penalties playing just over four minutes with a man down. Yes it was only game one of the regular season but if the coaches are serious about letting Beaulieu play with Weber and managing Markov’s minutes, they have to make game’s like last ht the exception rather than the rule.
Props:
Artturi Lehkonen - The young Finnish forward did everything but score against the Sabres. He had several high quality scoring chances and is developing some nice chemistry with Radulov. Lehkonen led the Canadiens with five shots on goal and contributed positively at both ends of the ice. If he keeps this up it will only be a matter ofhe hits the back of the net.
Flop:
Mikhail Sergachev- Perhaps the pressure was too great on the 18 year old defenceman. It was his weakest game that he played thus far in a Canadiens uniform and at times he looked nervous and overwhelmed. He only played 11:48 minutes in the game which is not enough ice time to warrant him staying up with the big club. There is no doubt that he will continue to get the opportunity to play and prove that he can handle the regular season speed. Hopefully he will rebound against Ottawa now that he has gotten through emotions of playing his fst NHL game.
Props:
Brendan Gallagher - He led the Canadiens scoring two goals and already looks to be in mid-season form. He has no other gear but sixth and if he manages to stay healthy I expect him to have a breakout year in points.
Cheers & follow along! Follow @Jenbcutler