The Montreal Canadiens accomplished an American Thanksgiving weekend set in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon. It didn’t go effectively. The Kings skated away with a 4-0 victory. It wasn’t a whole shock, because the Kings have misplaced solely three video games in regulation time all season.
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It’s been a preferred chorus this season that the Canadiens merely can’t proceed with three goalies. The reality is, half the groups within the league can be completely satisfied to have even one goalie performing effectively, by no means thoughts three like Montreal has. The Oilers can be in a playoff spot with two fewer objectives in opposition to per sport allowed, if that they had simply one among Samuel Montembeault, Jake Allen or Cayden Primeau on their roster.
For the fifth straight sport, the Canadiens modified their beginning goalie selection. Every of the Montreal goalies continues to cease the puck at a robust charge this yr. Each the veterans are over .900 in save share and the younger gun, Primeau, simply completed 31 stops out of 33 in San Jose with 5 saves out of six within the shootout. This yr, for some weird purpose, save percentages have tumbled. Montreal has three good choices.
In Los Angeles, Martin St. Louis went again to Allen. The Kings have been dominant. That’s a particularly good workforce, particularly down the center with perhaps the most effective threesome of centres within the sport: Anze Kopitar, Philip Danault and Pierre-Luc Dubois.
The ultimate rating made it appear like it was not painstakingly abysmal. It was. This one was all-time low to date this season for Montreal.
The photographs on objective for the day have been 31-18 favouring Los Angeles. The goaltending should be identified on this one, as a result of there merely is nothing else to love, besides that it’s over.
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It was a troublesome sport to take pleasure in. Montreal merely couldn’t generate any offence. Los Angeles might make a powerful run within the playoffs this yr if the best way they ran over the Canadiens is any indication.
Montreal had one shot within the first interval. It was a dump-in whereas short-handed from 150 toes. Within the second interval, the Canadiens improved a little bit with aggressive possibilities from Nick Suzuki on a go from Sean Monahan, and a Cole Caufield 20-footer. Juraj Slafkovsky appeared sturdy on the finish of the sport on an precise particular person rush to point out how he’s gaining in confidence. That was it. No objectives. Maybe three high quality possibilities in whole.
It was merely a sport to get by in a five-game street journey that’s even at two wins and two losses. All in all, Montreal will take a .500 report heading into the ultimate contest in Columbus on Wednesday.
On to the following one.
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The trail to 50 extra objectives scored per season is clearly a very powerful goal roster-wise for the Canadiens.
A pessimist may inform you that they should draft a top-five decide or make a giant commerce or an enormous free agent signing. Nevertheless, an optimist is perhaps inclined to imagine the expertise is already within the group. Earlier than the season started, the optimist would have been laughed out of the room, however a hopeful particular person now has at the least a presentable case.
The optimist can begin to rally round Juraj Slafkovsky. He struggled in his first season, and with restricted puck touches through the begin of his sophomore season, Slafkovsky would have been higher served in Laval. Nevertheless, within the final 5 video games, he has 4 factors.
Slafkovsky is beginning to win lots of his puck battles alongside the boards. He’s scanning the ice higher as effectively. Quite a bit goes proper for the previous No. 1. It’s not utterly out of the equation that Slafkovsky might depend 20 to 25 objectives two seasons from now.
Subsequent comes Joshua Roy who has achieved nothing however be a high scorer in each league he has performed. Roy was a scoring machine within the QMJHL and now he’s within the AHL. Roy has 18 factors in his first 17 video games in a mature league of veterans. He can also be a 20-25 NHL objective man.
Add to the combination Alex Newhook and his attainable objective tally. This, to date, has been a breakout yr for Newhook. His greatest season was 14 objectives, however he’s on tempo for twenty-four tallies this season.
The ultimate participant who has the potential to be a scorer on the NHL stage is Filip Mesar. After an preliminary tough go acclimating to the smaller ice surfaces in North America, Mesar is out of the blue on fireplace. He’s scoring at a shocking tempo in Kitchener, Ont. Mesar is tops within the OHL at simply shy of two factors per sport. Mesar has 23 factors in 12 video games on 9 objectives. He is perhaps a top-six NHL ahead.
The 50 further objectives are clearly attainable by way of free company, commerce or draft, but it surely may simply be that Slafkovsky, Roy, Newhook or Mesar who’re already within the group are the ticket to a 285-goal season as quickly as 2025.
The numerous story for Habs normal supervisor Kent Hughes is that every one choices are open. He has the cap area. He has the draft picks. He has depth gamers to leverage in a commerce.
So, 280 to 285 objectives. Look ahead to it. You’ll be watching a number of wins the season you lastly see it within the ‘objectives for’ column.
Brian Wilde, a Montreal-based sports activities author, brings you Name of the Wilde on globalnews.ca after every Canadiens sport.
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