The Montreal Canadiens undefeated streak of 9 straight wins in regulation finally came to an end last night as the Vancouver Canucks handily defeated them 5-1. The Canadiens previous win against the Maple Leafs had been their worst game of the season. Unfortunately rather than correct their errors the Habs came up with their most lacklustre effort to date. The Canucks and former Hab Brandon Prust were pumped and ready from the moment the puck was dropped. The same cannot be said about the Canadiens.
There were a number of firsts that came in last night’s game for the Canadiens, unfortunately they were not of the positive kind. For the first time the Canadiens allowed a first period goal (which ended up being 3 first period goals by the end of the frame). For the first time the Canadiens trailed by more than a goal and this time it was longer than 2:57 minutes. Perhaps it would have been a different game had Brendan Gallagher not hit the post and scored shortly after the Canucks first goal. However, there are no “if’s… in hockey and it is what it is. And obviously the Canadiens lost for the first time this season. They had been outplayed but not outscored. In each of the 9 victories the Canadiens had scored 3 or more goals per game. Last night Torrey Mitchell scored the lone goal in the 3rd period to close the gap to 3-1 but unfortunately the Canadiens lost the little momentum that they had and the game as well.
Here are my Props & Flops from the loss:
Props:
Brandon Prust - The former Hab came to play and his teammates were motivated as well. Prust had 2 assists on the night coming on the Canucks 1st and 3rd goals. His shot on the first goal caused Carey Price to fumble with the puck and Jared McCann was able to push it over the goal line. Unfortunately Prust hurt his left ankle during the game and had to leave when he it a rut and turned awkwardly.
Flops:
The Canadiens Defence - The group as a whole played their worst game of the year and were not there to help Carey Price as they usually do. On the Canucks first goal Andrei Markov allowed Prust to blow by him and get the shot off while P.K. Subban was covering McCann but did not tie him up, thus allowing McCann to get his stick on the puck and score. The Canadiens had been very good at limiting 2nd opportunities and clearing pucks around the crease. This was poor coverage by the Habs top pairing. On the second Canucks goal, Nathan Beaulieu got his stick on Luca Sbisa’s shot and deflected the puck up and over Price, another mistake. If he was on offence it would have been a perfect tip but that kind of deflection should not happen on defence. Subban and Markov each played less than 20 minutes last night, their lowest TOI this season and both were a -2.
Props:
The Canadiens 4th Line - The performance of the Canadiens 4th line has enabled head coach Michel Therrien to roll 4 lines night in and night out, however last night the trio of Flynn-Mitchell-Smith-Pelly were the best of the group. Torrey Mitchell scored his 4th goal of the season and is well on his way of surpassing his last year total of 6. Devante Smith-Pelly picked up his second assist of the season. Brian Flynn had a team high 4 shots on net which is good for him, but that should never really happen in a game if the Canadiens are going to win…
Flop:
Canadiens Lack of Shots - Max Pacioretty, Tomas Plekanec, P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov combined for a total of 3 shots on net against the Canucks. That number is simply inexcusable coming from the Canadiens best players, leaders and point producers. Last night was a night to forget from the Canadiens leadership core, save for Brendan Gallagher. I expect each of them to come back big against Edmonton.
Props:
David Desharnais - One of the best players for the Habs against the Canucks. His speed and aggressiveness created scoring opportunities for himself and his linemates. Desharnais’ success as a third line center this season has been one of the feel good stories thus far.
Flop:
Canadiens Losing Faceoffs - The Canadiens centremen once again had difficulties in the faceoff circle, losing as a whole 55% of their draws. Lost faceoffs directly leads to puck possession for the opponents and scoring opportunities. On this night 3 of the 5 goals allowed by the Canadiens came directly off of losing the faceoff.
Props or Flop? You Decide:
The End of the Streak - The undefeated streak is finally over and the Canadiens can finally move on from it. In a sense they appeared relieved after the game that it was over and talk of it could finally subside. Postgame, the Canadiens were fully aware that they failed as a team to show up. Comments courtesy of Canadiens.com:
Pacioretty: “Our defensive effort by everyone – forwards and defensemen – wasn’t there. I think we weren’t up to par defensively. We feel like we left Pricer stranded. There’s no excuse for that. We had two days in between games, and we had plenty of time to recover. We’ve got to be better moving forward, and hopefully be better in Edmonton.…Mitchell: “I think the better team won. We weren’t aggressive enough. I don’t think anyone liked the way we started… The effort with this group is always there, but I think when it comes to details in the defensive zone – and in the neutral zone – it just wasn’t good enough.…
I thought Gallagher’s comments were perhaps the most telling:
“I think this is maybe what we needed. Everyone’s been telling us how good we are. Maybe we have to understand that it’s still going to take work, it’s still a process and you have to stick with it. We need to get better. We took a step back, but it doesn’t mean that we’ll have any trouble re-focusing and getting ready for the next one.…
And that Alex Burrows of the Canucks said it best (courtesy of NHL.com):
“We really wanted that first win at home probably more than they wanted that 10-game winning streak.…
Neither Here Nor There:
- The Canadiens have the day off today and practice game day in Edmonton. I do not expect any lineup changes against the Oilers. If the Canadiens have a 3rd sub-par game in a row then yes, I imagine changes would be made against Calgary Friday night, including giving Mike Condon a start in goal.
- Despite being a -2 on the night, I thought Alex Semin actually played better against the Canucks than the Maple Leafs. He looked engaged and had two takeaways on the night. The same could not be said about his linemate Lars Eller who probably played his worst game of the season.
- The Canadiens special teams won them the game against the Maple Leafs but against the Canucks they let in a Powerplay goal and the second goal of the game came on a delayed call as well. They Habs only generated 2 powerplay opportunities for themselves and the second one was cut in half when they took a too many men bench minor.
- Ryan Miller was very solid in nets for the Canucks. He made some terrific saves when the Habs pressed to try and cut the lead. The Canucks as a group played a very strong game for 60 minutes, will they be able to keep this up throughout the season?
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