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Game 3: Canadiens vs Sabres AKA If you Play with Fire, You'll Get Burnt |
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The Sabres gave the Canadiens headaches last season and it looks like they will continue to do so this year. The Habs came out strong and dominated the first few minutes of play until Tomas Tatar was given a minor penalty for interference and unsurprisingly, the Sabres scored to take the lead. These Habs are not fast learners though and managed to get another penalty 10 minutes later but this time, lady luck was with them and Joel Armia tied things up with a shorthanded goal before adding a second one on the power play 5 minutes later. I have no idea what Armia ate tonight before the game but please, give him more of the same every game night. At the end of 20 minutes, the Habs were leading 2-1.
Jack Eichel tied things up early in the 2nd, once more on the power play (while Tatar was once more in the penalty box) before making it 3-2 Buffalo on a shot that Kinkaid would probably want to get back. The second period was a proper shooting gallery with the Sabres taking 15 shots on Kinkaid in the second and to be honest, at time, he did look a bit like a deer in the headlights. That being said though, the defensive was a mess and was leaving him out to dry. With 20 minutes to go, the Habs were still very much in it but they just had to stop taking silly penalties.
Less than a minute into the last frame, Jeff Skinner found himself all alone in front of Kinkaid and did not miss his chance to make it 4-2. At that point, they could have thrown in the towel but for the second time in as many game, Jonathan Drouin orchestrated a quick answer by setting up another Kotkaniemi goal. The rest of the third was an intense affair and there were plenty of chances on both sides but Ben Chiarot was the only one to find the back of the net (his first as a Hab). The Canadiens can say thank you to Keith Kinkaid for the point earn tonight because he kept them in this contest in the third with a few huge saves.
Unfortunately, Philip Danault got himself a slashing minor with 34 seconds to go and at that stage, it seemed obvious that we wouldn't be getting a happy ending tonight. While the Canadiens did manage to kill the penalty, it had barely expired when the Sabres put the final nail in the Bleu, Blanc, Rouge coffin tonight with the OT winner.
For a second time in as many games, Julien mixed his lines up as follows:
Lehkonen-Danault-Gallagher
Tatar-Domi-Weal
Drouin-Kotkaniemi-Armia
Byron-Thompson-Suzuki
Given Tatar's performance tonight, it wasn't surprising to see him demoted, I dare say that Tuna delivered a fishy performance to say the least tonight. As for the Reilly and Folin tandem, it wasn't all that convincing although I will give a slight edge to Reilly, if only because he can actually skate with the puck. Not only did he get an assist but he also launch they attack on Kotkaniemi's goal.
The Habs will be back on the ice tomorrow night at home for their home opener and it will be interesting to see who is in the line-up and what the lines are. I don't see Tatar not being in his usual spot but I'm not so sure that Suzuki will start in the top 6. Unfortunately for the youngster, the regular season means a higher pace of play and more skilled players than in the preseason. Once again tonight, he landed on the 4th line even though he did get his first NHL point on Armia's second goal. On the positive side of things, once more, the Drouin-Kotkaniemi-Armia line was the best one out there and it really seems like KK is done being goal shy on the road. I think it's safe to say that Claude Julien would have liked his 350th game as the Habs' bench boss to end in another manner.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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