Overmatched Canadiens shut out by Kings for second straight time

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There’s no disgrace shedding to the Los Angeles Kings, a workforce that seems constructed for a reputable Stanley Cup run.

However failing to attain a purpose in two video games? That’s hardly a badge of honour for the Canadiens. Nonetheless, the 4-0 loss to the Kings Thursday night time on the Bell Centre had a distinctly completely different really feel than the 4-0 defeat administered by Los Angeles, on the highway, Nov. 25.

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For starters, Montreal registered solely 18 photographs on web that afternoon. This time? Not all that extra — 24 — however the Canadiens had significantly extra scoring alternatives, significantly in the course of the first interval, once they loved a 13-11 benefit in photographs however made two errors and confronted a 2-0 deficit within the intermission.

“I believe I deserved a greater destiny after that first interval,” Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis stated. “I believed we had a great interval, a great begin. We have been executing. We had quite a lot of appears to be like however didn’t end our possibilities. If anyone doesn’t know something concerning the league and watched that first interval, I don’t assume they’d have guessed that L.A. could be up 2-0.

“That’s simply the sport and in opposition to a great workforce … you need to be opportunistic in your possibilities. I felt like they have been successful after the primary, however I didn’t really feel they have been beating us. Towards L.A., if you’re down 2-0, you need to rating the following one and we didn’t do this.”

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With the victory, their eleventh consecutive on the highway, the Kings established an NHL file for the longest consecutive streak to start a season. Los Angeles had shared the mark with the 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres.

To place that into perspective, the Canadiens received solely 14 video games on the highway all of final season. Right here’s one thing else to ponder: Montreal hasn’t scored a purpose on the Kings since final March 2; Denis Gurianov, not with the workforce, notched one within the third interval of a 3-2 highway defeat.

Quinton Byfield, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound beast, paced the Kings on Thursday with two objectives, together with one on the facility play, whereas including an help, giving him 8-13-21 totals by way of 23 video games. On his opening purpose, late within the first interval, he effortlessly skated round defenceman Kaiden Guhle — the unlucky clubhouse chief this night time with a plus/minus mark of minus-3 — earlier than deking goaltender Samuel Montembeault.

The Canadiens have now allowed a power-play purpose in 4 consecutive video games and eight of the final 10. Montreal, conversely, had three extra-man alternatives in opposition to Los Angeles, together with two within the first interval.

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Defenceman Drew Doughty, who turns 34 on Friday but stays efficient, and Trevor Moore, along with his team-leading thirteenth purpose, additionally scored.

It was this sort of an evening for the Canadiens: Defenceman Justin Barron tripped over an official, offering Moore with a breakaway, eight minutes into the third interval.

The Canadiens have been rotating their three netminders of late, however Montembeault was the primary since Jake Allen on Oct. 21 and 23 to play a second consecutive sport. Montembeault, who made 38 stops for a .905 save proportion, wasn’t the explanation Montreal misplaced.

“I believe you form of need to ignore the rating and notice our sport tonight was approach higher than it was in L.A. on all fronts,” defenceman Mike Matheson stated. “I believe the entire sport was just a little bit irritating by the actual fact we have been producing quite a lot of possibilities and weren’t burying them. It’s a a lot completely different feeling in comparison with the sport we had in L.A., the place … let’s face it … we didn’t belong on the ice in opposition to them. We simply didn’t convey our A-game and even our B-game.

“You may’t do this in opposition to a workforce like that. Whereas tonight, I don’t know what the (scoring) possibilities have been precisely however I’d think about we had extra possibilities than them. I don’t assume they’d their A-game. A part of that was due to the issues we have been doing. In the event you return, have a look at the tape and ignore the rating, I believe there’s quite a bit to take from it. It will have been nice to bury among the possibilities we bought.”

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Certainly. Within the first interval, Sean Monahan had goalie Cam Talbot crushed — however didn’t beat the appropriate put up whereas the Canadiens have been on the facility play. Seconds later, Juraj Slafkovsky, positioned on the facet, missed an open web. Captain Nick Suzuki struck the put up early within the second after being fed by Slafkovsky.

Talbot, 36, enjoying on his seventh NHL workforce in 11 seasons and on a one-year contract, recorded his second shutout this season whereas enhancing to 12-4-1. He undoubtedly finds it a lot simpler enjoying behind the Kings’ suffocating 1-3-1 system.

This was the primary of three Canadiens video games in 4 days. They journey to Buffalo Saturday night time earlier than entertaining Nashville on Sunday.

hzurkowsky@postmedia.com

twitter.com/HerbZurkowsky1

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