Wow, what a penalty filled game with a lot of scrums after the whistle! Guhle set the tone for the bad blood with a big hit on Frank Nazar in the neutral zone and had to answer for it by fighting Louis Crevier. You can see the hit and mayhem below.
I loved the hit and I thought Guhle played one of his best games in a Habs uniform tonight. He was a force to be reckoned with. Here's a breakdown of the good and bad of the game vs the Hawks.
The Powerplay
Overall they went 2/10 with the first unit scoring both goals. I like that the second unit got the opportunity to start a power play and give a different look. I really think Kapanen should be out there. He's a big body, has speed and intelligence which is much needed. The second unit did well, but Kapo would really give them that extra mojo. With all the pp time Kapo was limited to 10 minutes of ice time.
Although the Canadiens scored twice, I find they need to do a better job overall controlling the puck cleanly. They seemed a little rushed out there at times. Would have liked for the Habs to execute a little more given they had ten power plays. Zone entries are still a work in progress.
Zach Bolduc
He keeps scoring and creating some good offence. Also, he is always involved physically. Love it. Come playoff time, this guy will be crucial to winning a series.
Kaiden Guhle
He set the tone with a big hit and was using his body effectively to neutralize plays in the defensive zone. Also he scored the game winner (they had initially given it to Slafkovsky so that may change again) so all in all, a really good night of work. One of the best games I've seen him play.
Lane Hutson
He's moving his feet and is doing a good job of keeping the opposing team off balance when he has the puck, but at times I thought he was beating himself. In a couple of instances he would try to make the unconventional play and his teammates were not ready for it. On those plays, he would pass up the oppounity to give it to a teammate who was wide open and calling for it, in order to go against the grain and try to catch the Hawks napping. The problem is , his own teammates were not expecting it. He's playing lights out, but may need to simplify a little. Not always though as I love his creativity, and at the end of the day, what the hell do I know about what he sees at ice level in the moment.
Arber Xhekaj
I was not a huge fan of the penalty he took when he put Colton Dach in a headlock after the whistle. It was a weak call but the action was not really necessary and led to the Hawks second goal with the Habs on the PK. With Montreal up 2-1, he needs to pick his spots better. Had Dach taken a late whack at Monty of was very aggressive in front of the goalie, fine. But Colton Dach was just skating by. Xhekaj ended the game with 6:48 of ice time...I think Struble may draw in next game.
The question is, when and how will Veleno get in a game?
Noah Dobson
He played a solid game and made a lot of smart efficient plays to get the puck out of the zone. He's really good at launching the transition. In the offensive zone, he seemed to have trouble timing the one timer as the puck kept bouncing oddly off his stick. Maybe that groin is still bothering him?
The Habs are 2-1 going into Tuesday which is fairly good, but they need to keep this up. I hope Demidov has a big game in Montreal. That would be sweet. The Habs welcome Shane "Stare Down" Wright and the Kraken for the Habs home opener Tuesday at 7pm!
What did you all think of the game?