We were all looking forward to seeing the Canadiens in action after four and a half months of inactivity and Tuesday night in Toronto, they showed us one thing. They haven’t changed.
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It was the same good little team with the same result that we have seen too often this season, a commendable effort, but a defeat. We saw a bad goal early in the game, another bad goal late in the period (second) and an ineffective power play. The five-man attack even allowed two goals.
As for Carey Price, he was good without being dominant and he allowed four goals. He did allow a few extra rebounds, but he’s not responsible for the 4-2 loss to the Maple Leafs. It’s obvious, however, that to beat the Penguins, Price will need to be in top form. He will have to steal at least one match.
In general, I liked what I saw of Price. He only had 23 shots, but he faced more quality chances than his counterpart, Frederik Andersen who received 30 shots. I’m sure Price probably would have liked to receive 40-45 pitches on Tuesday to get his hands dirty, but it didn’t.
I said in the Journal Saturday that I was hoping he would send out an intimidating message in that preseason game against the Leafs. It wasn’t exactly that, but he delivered an encouraging performance and I believe he will be more dangerous as the series against the Penguins progresses.
Obviously, it’s going to take a Carey Price at his peak to beat the Penguins. Offensively, the Canadiens haven’t been very threatening against the Leafs and it will be even more difficult to score against the Penguins, a team that has allowed 31 fewer goals than the Leafs this season.
Hard return to reality
Even if Tuesday’s match did not count, the fact remains that it was a hard return to reality for the troop in Claude Julien, especially since the first trio of Phillip Danault, Tomas Tatar and Brendan Gallagher has had a good game.
We can hope that players returning from injuries like Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel are not in peak form on the Penguins’ side, but we can only hope so. Talent tends to resurface quickly.
Clearly, against Crosby, Guentzel, Malkin and company, the Canadians will have to avoid defensive blunders and give Carey Price a helping hand. They will also have to avoid the penalty bench and take advantage of their numerical advantages.
That’s a lot of things to settle quickly and I have the impression that Claude Julien will be very active behind the bench. He will make several line changes over the course of the series. He’ll have to adjust and quickly detect who’s having a good night and who isn’t. He will have to overuse some players.
I understand Max Domi was late for training camp, but the Canadiens won’t beat the Penguins with Domi on the 4th line alongside two AHL caliber players like Dale Weise and Jordan Weal.
Second assessment
These series will give general manager Marc Bergevin a chance to do a second assessment of his troops before the period of transactions and free agents, but it is clear that he does not have a top formation.
We have seen in recent years that the Canadiens cannot change the game in an 82-game season, but in a 3 of 5 series, it is possible to defy logic and the pressure is more on the Penguins than on the Canadians. We keep our fingers crossed.
– Interview by Gilles Moffet
Between threads
Several positive points
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Even if the Canadians are not favorites, they can hold their own against the Penguins. We saw positive points on Tuesday, including the performance of the first line. Brendan Gallagher has the makings of a captain. Tomas Tatar scored. I liked the intensity of Jonathan Drouin, especially in front check. Rookie Nick Suzuki is already playing like a veteran and he will dominate for several seasons. Jesperi Kotkaniemi was physically involved. He could unlock and become the hidden card of the Habs. And if the Canadians are to lose, I love that we are giving ice en masse to young people like Kotkaniemi.
Le Kraken the Seattle
Photo from Twitter, @NHLSeattle_
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The name and colors of Seattle’s new team were unveiled last week. I confess that I am not yet sold on the Seattle Kraken name, logo or colors. Sometimes it’s just a matter of getting used to, but my first impression is that the Kraken reminds me of some minor league teams that often use monsters as their theme. Finally, let’s hope the people of Seattle like it.
Special conditions
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The context of the playoffs in the middle of summer and the COVID-19 crisis is surreal. The teams are confined, but somewhere it’s almost a good deal. The players have no choice but to be focused on hockey and it reminds of the old tradition among the Canadiens. The day before local playoff games, we slept at a hotel in Montreal in my day and we had team dinners. On the other hand, playing in front of empty amphitheatres, it’s a Monday night game. Having said that, I take my hat off to Gary Bettman. The NHL takes all necessary precautions against the virus. It is also a beautiful gesture of solidarity against racism to see the players of both teams lined up on the blue line during the national anthem. The NHL does it right.
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