It was a busy weekend for the Montreal Canadiens as they handily defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-0 Saturday night at the Bell Centre only to travel to Chicago immediately following their victory and lose to the Blackhawks 3-2 Sunday night at the United Center. Against the Red Wings the Canadiens could do no wrong as they controlled the game from start to finish and once again gave goaltender Carey Price a lightened load as they held their opponent to 25 shots on net. Five different goal scorers led the way including Phillip Danault who continues to shine at center as well as Paul Byron who does not want to give up his spot on the first line. The rest of the goals came from Shea Weber and Andrew Shaw, both on the powerplay as well as captain Max Pacioretty.
Despite not having their legs against the Blackhawks, the Canadiens still competed and gave a strong effort. However, they were thwarted by goaltender Corey Crawford who made a number of brilliant saves to help seal the win for Chicago. The Canadiens have had quite the busy schedule as of late as it was the Canadiens third match in four nights as well as fourth game in six nights. Al Montoya played in his first game since the Columbus Blue Jackets debacle and while he played well and kept the Canadiens in the game, the Blackhawks were the fresher team and took advantage of Montreal’s mistakes. The goalscorers in Chicago for the Canadiens were She Weber and Andrei Markov.
Here are a combined Puck Props and Flops from the weekend:
Props:
Andrew Shaw - He was easily the Canadiens best forward on the weekend. Against the Red Wings he doubled his season output recording a goal and two assists, had four shots on net and three takeaways. On Sunday night Crawford stoned him on numerous chances as he had six shots on net as well as nine (!) hits against his former team. Shaw played with the energy and grit that had been missing for a few games and displayed why general manager Marc Bergevin acquired and signed him long-term.
Phillip Danault - He is taking advantage of his opportunity of playing as the team’s third line center and is playing some excellent two way hockey. Danault provides a bigger body down the middle for the Canadiens and is a strong skater as well. He and Shaw have found some nice chemistry between the two of them and are providing a consistent effort and contributions at both ends of the ice.
The Canadiens first line - Galchenyuk is leading the Canadiens with 17 points in 16 games. He is performing above and beyond expectations as the Canadiens first line center and is steadily improving in the faceoff circle. Radulov’s compete level is contagious as he does not allow his linemates to take a shift off. His enthusiasm and skill have proved to be a lethal combination. Paul Byron is quite enjoying playing with the likes of Alex Galchenyuk and Alexander Radulov on the Canadiens first line. Byron adds stability in the defensive end and has been able to keep up with the skill of the others, capitalizing on a number of opportunities as well as creating his own. He still is not the long term solution for the Canadiens there but he is getting it done now. Eventually I believe Pacioretty must be given a chance there to get him going again.
Shea Weber - He is well on his way to besting his totals from last season with seven goals and thirteen points in seventeen games with the Canadiens. His presence is felt in front of the Canadiens crease where opponents are having a much tougher time trying to get to Carey Price. Weber is logging big minutes when needed and is leading the team by example. I still maintain that being in the less physical Eastern Conference will extend Weber’s career and performance with the Canadiens.
Flops:
Brendan Gallagher - He is not in this category due to his compete level or any big gaffes. However, Gallagher has not recorded a point in six games, or roughly since he was taken off of Galchenyuk’s line. He has always been the sparkplug that got any teammate or line going but right now he is going through a cold spell of his own, something that is quite unusual for him. Gallagher needs to go back to crashing the net and getting involved in the play. I am far from worried about Gallagher as he has always been counted on and has been reliable. His time will come shortly and I would not be surprised if we see a line of himself, Tomas Plekanec and Artturi Lehkonen once he returns from injury.
David Desharnais - He has been replaced on the third line by Danault but given the chance to get back into the lineup and play if the injured Brian Flynn’s spot over the weekend, Desharnais did little to prove that he belongs to play a regular shift with the Canadiens. If he is not going on the third line, there is simply not another place in the lineup that he fits. Desharnais cannot contribute defensively like Flynn and Torrey Mitchell and does not bring anything else to the table. I would rather see a player from the Ice Caps such as Michael McCarron or Charles Hudon get those minutes, even if it is on the fourth line.
Sven Andrighetto - After a very strong game against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night, Andrighetto did little to improve on it and managed to get demoted to the fourth line on Saturday night despite the Canadiens domination of the Red Wings. He has not been able to prove that he can be a reliable every day NHL player and it will not be long until Andrighetto runs out of chances if he does play consistently and with the same intensity night in and night out.
Cheers and follow along! Follow @Jenbcutler