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In Hainsight: Habs Stun Devils |
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Follow me @KarineHains for all updates about the Montreal Canadiens and women's hockey
Montreal came out swinging last night, clearly, even if most people though they were no match for the Devils, Martin St-Louis’ men did not agree. Josh Anderson set the tone with a fast paced and involved performance that saw him take 5 of the Canadiens’ 18 shots and even though he couldn’t find the back of the net, that was the kind of performance that could drum up some interest as the trade deadline approaches. This morning, Darren Dreger reported that there is no interest around the league in Mike Hoffman, I don’t think anyone was surprised to hear that.
With so many injuries, unlikely heroes are stepping up, three of the Habs’ five tallies came from defensemen last night. Justin Barron opened the score by joining the rush and taking a precise shot after a brilliant Nick Suzuki pass. A period later, it was Jonathan Kovacevic’s turn to use the same blueprint and Mike Matheson scored the insurance marker in an empty net in the dying minutes. The other two goals came from Suzuki and Pitlick, somehow, with just 18 shots, the Habs managed to score 5 times.
Meanwhile, Samuel Montembeault received a barrage of shots, being tested 40 times and only surrendering 2 goals for a save percentage of .950. Without his heroics, which included stopping three breakaways, the score would have been much different and there’s no denying that he’s currently forcing the Canadiens’ brass to think about his future. Sooner rather than later, the team will need to give Cayden Primeau an extended look to know where they are going with him and if he’s a viable option as an NHL goalie.
Speaking of the Habs’ brass, the Petry for Matheson trade is looking better by the day. Now that Matheson is healthy, he’s really finding his marks with the Habs and the pairing he formed with Justin Barron has been impressive. Furthermore, as the blue line is decimated by injuries, he’s playing some serious minutes, last night he spent over 27 minutes on the ice and the way things are going, I wouldn’t be surprised if his pairing with Barron was still a thing come next season.
The Canadiens have yet to give any kind of update on Arber Xhekaj status, but it was announced this morning that a public signing session he was meant to take part in on February 26th has been postponed indefinitely, a clear indication that the young defenseman still isn’t feeling any better. If you’re off with the kids for Spring break next week though, you might want to head to Lachute Ford where a free signing session with Brendan Gallagher and Juraj Slafkovsky will be held on March 1st from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.
No games for the Canadiens tonight, but if you’re looking for something to do, head to the Place Bell in Laval where the women’s national team will be taking on their bitter rival, the American national team in game 7 of the rivalry series. So far, both teams have won 3 games and tonight’s game should be quite a show, especially with the intensity level these two teams always have when they’re playing each other. Don’t miss your chance to see the best players in women’s hockey; Marie-Philip Poulin, Ann-Renée Desbiens, Sarah Nurse, Hilary Knight, Amanda Kessel will all be there to name a few! The puck drops at 7:00 pm and yes, I’ll be there in the first row to cheer them on.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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