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In Hainsight: One for the Coach |
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Follow me @KarineHains for all updates about the Montreal Canadiens and women's hockey
Martin St.Louis rejoined his team yesterday and was behind the bench for the game against a strong Colorado Avalanche side. The Avs had won nine games in a row and wanted to extend their streak. So much so that Nathan MacKinnon scored just 43 seconds into the game. With that goal, MacKinnon kept a streak of his own going, getting a point in a 35th consecutive home game. It was also his 19 straight game with a point, his second 19-game point streak of the season a first in NHL history.
The Canadiens could have been stunned and faltered after Colorado’s strong start, but captain Nick Suzuki ensured it wouldn’t be the case, tying the game up just nine seconds later. Juraj Slafkovsky got an assist on the play, meaning his point streak now stands at eight, but more importantly, with his 40th point, he became the teenager with the most points ever in a single season with the Canadiens. Mario Tremblay had held the record with 39 since the 1974-1975 season.
The first period was fast-paced and both sides kept pushing for another goal, but the Canadiens were the only ones to score again when Joel Armia took possession of a puck Justus Annunen thought he had frozen and skated around the net to put it in. It was Armia’s 12th goal of the season. The assists came from Alex Newhook and Kaiden Guhle. Newhook’s assist was his 25th point of the season and the fact he got it in a game against his former team must have felt particularly good. He also won 11 of his 16 faceoffs yesterday for a success rate of 68.8%. As for Guhle, he followed his best game of the season with another strong performance spending 23 minutes on the ice, blocking three shots and landing two hits.
Colorado spent the rest of the game trying to score the equalizer, but they couldn’t find it even though they enjoyed three power play opportunities. The Canadiens’ penalty kill was flawless on the night against the seventh-best power play in the league which converts nearly 25% of the time. The Avalanche only managed to get two shots on net during their man-advantage opportunities which is a feat in itself.
Samuel Montembeault stopped 27 of the 28 shots received for a save percentage of .964 making it the second game in a row in which the Habs’ netminder has a save percentage above .960. In 35 games this season, Montembeault has a 3.06 GAA and a .910 SP. Both stats are an improvement over his numbers from last season. Speaking of improvement, Juraj Slafkovsky is making the end of this season entertaining to watch. He’s now very steady on his feet and he can use his big frame to win board battles. Furthermore, his decision-making has improved by leaps and bounds and it truly looks like the game has slowed down for him thanks to his ability to hold the puck when needed.
The Canadiens will now head back to Montreal for a five-game stay at home against the Flyers, the Hurricanes, the Panthers, the Lightning, and the Maple Leafs. All these teams are in the position of making the playoffs and the Habs cannot expect an easy ride against any of them. These games will no doubt be interesting tests for the young Canadiens who will be looking to take a big step forward next season and compete in the playoffs race.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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