”I’m right here for the Montreal Canadiens,” Jake Allen says after permitting 4 objectives on 34 pictures. ”I’m not making an attempt to carry out for different groups.”
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The Canadiens might do a remake of the previous Three’s Firm sitcom.
As an alternative of starring the late John Ritter (Jack Tripper), the late Suzanne Somers (Chrissy Snow) and Joyce DeWitt (Janet Wooden), it might star Canadiens goalies Jake Allen, Samuel Montembeault and Cayden Primeau.
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At this level, Canadiens followers may not know whether or not to giggle or cry as this three-goalie rotation continues.
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It was Allen’s flip to play Saturday evening on the Bell Centre in a 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals. Allen stopped 30 of the 34 pictures he confronted because the Canadiens misplaced their second straight sport and for the fourth time within the final 5 video games as their season report fell to 22-25-8.
Issues obtained off to a nasty begin for Allen when he couldn’t management the second shot he confronted — a smooth one from the purpose — letting the puck slip by his pads with Anthony Mantha banging it within the internet at 3:40 of the primary interval to provide the Capitals a 1-0 lead.
“That was a display screen shot,” Allen mentioned after the sport. “It hit me and I didn’t even actually see it, so I simply type of reacted.”
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Allen has solely two wins in his final 15 video games (2-11-2) and his season report is now 5-11-3 with a 3.66 goals-against common and a .894 save proportion. The 33-year-old is the goalie GM Kent Hughes wish to transfer earlier than the March 8 NHL commerce deadline, however at this level he can’t count on to get a lot in return. Allen has one season remaining on his contract with a US$3.85 million salary-cap hit.
Allen mentioned his mother and father are taking the commerce rumours — together with one this week that had him presumably going to the Colorado Avalanche — tougher than him because the commerce deadline approaches.
“If a commerce occurs, it occurs,” Allen mentioned. “And if it doesn’t occur, I’m very happy to be right here as a result of that is what I signed up for. I’ve mentioned to Kent this 12 months because of this I signed up is to assist this staff. I need to see this staff succeed sooner or later, even when I’m not within the league anymore. I’d love to have the ability to activate the TV and watch these guys win the Stanley Cup.”
Allen added he doesn’t really feel any added strain to carry out forward of the commerce deadline.
“What’s the strain for me?” he mentioned. “I don’t have strain to carry out to get traded. I’m right here for the Montreal Canadiens. I’m not making an attempt to carry out for different groups. I simply preserve taking part in for this group and this group solely. That’s type of the place I’ve stood all 12 months.”
Street to the Cup
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Hughes has mentioned he’s keen to maintain the Three’s Firm sitcom operating till the tip of the season if he can’t make a commerce he likes earlier than the deadline.
T.J. Oshie, Sonny Milano and Aliaksei Protas additionally scored for the Capitals.
Arber Xhekaj, Alex Newhook and Nick Suzuki scored for the Canadiens.
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Streaks prolonged
Suzuki prolonged his factors streak to 10 video games with a power-play purpose at 9:45 of the third interval that tied the rating 3-3 earlier than Protas scored the winner at 11:57. Suzuki has 8-8-16 totals throughout his streak and has now hit the 20-goal mark for the third straight season. He’s on tempo to complete the season with 30 objectives.
Juraj Slafkovsky prolonged his factors streak to eight video games with an help on Suzuki’s purpose. Slafkovsky has 6-6-12 totals throughout his streak.
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Costly fourth-liner
For the second straight sport, Brendan Gallagher was on the Canadiens’ fourth line with Brandon Gignac and Michael Pezzetta after getting back from a five-game suspension. Gallagher had 10:14 of ice time and didn’t get a shot on purpose.
Gallagher has eight objectives in 50 video games this season and is a team-worst minus-23. He’ll flip 32 on Might 6 and has three extra seasons after this left on his contract with a salary-cap hit of US$6.5 million.
“I feel it’s game-to-game,” head coach Martin St. Louis mentioned after the sport when requested what Gallagher’s position shall be for the remainder of this season. “With the (All-Star break and his suspension) he missed a while. I feel it’s game-by-game. Gally brings vitality. He brings the blokes to the struggle and I feel he’s going to proceed doing that and we’re going to handle how the strains are formed up sport by sport.”
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The place’s the offence?
Solely three forwards within the Canadiens’ lineup towards the Capitals have greater than 16 factors this season they usually have been all on the primary line: Suzuki (53), Cole Caufield (45) and Slafkovsky (30). Gallagher and Jake Evans each have 16 factors.
Josh Anderson, who was on the second line with Evans and Tanner Pearson, has 7-8-15 totals in 51 video games. Anderson has gone 10 video games with out a purpose and has just one purpose within the final 17 video games. Anderson has three extra seasons after this remaining on his contract with a salary-cap hit of US$5.5 million
Lack of offence from the forwards stays the largest drawback for the Canadiens.
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Armia the playmaker?
Heading into the sport, the Canadiens’ Joel Armia had one help in 38 video games this season.
He had two assists towards the Capitals.
Armia has 9-3-12 totals this season and has yet one more season left on his contract with a US$3.4 million salary-cap hit.
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Wholesome scratch
Canadiens ahead Jesse Ylönen was made a wholesome scratch for the second straight sport. He has three objectives in 43 video games this season and hasn’t scored in his final 33 video games.
Homecoming evening
Former Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty performed his first sport on the Bell Centre with Washington. He signed a one-year, US$2-million contract with the Capitals final summer time as a free agent after tearing his proper Achilles tendon for the second time in lower than a 12 months final season with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Pacioretty picked up an help, giving him 1-8-9 totals in 18 video games this season. Pacioretty has already earned an additional $1.5 million in bonuses this season by taking part in in 15 video games and can get one other US$500,000 if he hits the 20-game mark.
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Gallagher is the one participant nonetheless with the Canadiens who Pacioretty performed with in Montreal earlier than being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier than the beginning of the 2018-19 season.
Saturday was additionally a homecoming for Washington defenceman Joel Edmundson, who the Canadiens traded to the Capitals final summer time in trade for a third-round choose and a seventh-round choose at this 12 months’s NHL Draft.
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Hometown boy
Mantha, who’s from Longueuil, had a purpose and an help, giving him 11-8-19 totals in 23 profession video games towards the Canadiens. He has 17-11-28 totals this season.
Mantha was chosen by the Detroit Crimson Wings within the first spherical (twentieth general) of the 2013 NHL Draft. That was the 12 months the Canadiens chosen Michael McCarron with the twenty fifth general choose.
Ovechkin’s streak ends
The Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin noticed his six-game goal-scoring streak come to an finish after getting three pictures on purpose. He did choose up an help, giving him 38-29-67 totals in 58 profession video games towards the Canadiens.
Ovechkin has 14 objectives this season and desires 59 extra to move Wayne Gretzky (894) and turn into the NHL’s all-time main goal-scorer.
Some stats
Slafkovsky had a career-high seven pictures on purpose, adopted by Caufield with six and Suzuki with 4. The primary line mixed for 17 of the Canadiens’ 31 pictures. Slafkovsky additionally logged a career-high 23:52 in ice time (probably the most of any Canadiens ahead) and blocked six pictures.
Suzuki’s purpose was his team-leading ninth on the ability play, yet one more than Caufield. Suzuki additionally gained 16 of the 23 faceoffs he took (70 per cent).
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As standard, defenceman Mike Matheson led the Canadiens with 26:05 of ice time. Matheson additionally picked up his team-leading thirty fourth help, yet one more than Suzuki.
Additionally as standard, Pezzetta led the Canadiens with three hits regardless of having solely 8:43 of ice time.
What’s subsequent?
The Canadiens will apply at 10 a.m. Sunday on the Bell Centre. They don’t play once more till Wednesday, when the Buffalo Sabres will go to the Bell Centre (7 p.m., SN, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).
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