Canadiens @ Predators Top Six Minutes: Habs get mauled in Tennessee

Tonight we get the return of David Savard and a more offensive role for Anthony Richard. Will those changes help stop the losing streak?

First period

• The crowd doesn’t seem to be all that interested in watching the Montreal Canadiens play. No doubt there are some commenters in our game thread saying the same thing.
• Not the way Joel Edmundson wanted to start the game, with a delay of game penalty. At least Savard is back in front of the net.
• A short-handed rush, and a shot, from Josh Anderson. That’s a good way to back up your comments from the weekend. Now he just need one of those shots to go in.
• The penalty kill drops further with a tip in front of the net. Too many players are getting left uncontested in that area these days.
• It’s being looked at for a tip above the crossbar, but with no cameras placed at the four-foot height around the rink, it’s always a tough thing to determine.
• Call is “confirmed” the ref says, so they must have had a very clear view on their tablet.
• Even the “It’s all your fault!” chant is half-hearted. What happened to these people?
• Meet the new Habs, the same as the old Habs. It’s 2-0 Nashville after a couple of bad turnovers. That injected a bit more life in crowd, and a few more voices join in for the Montem-boos.
• A two-on-one with the players you’d want on such a thing, and Cole Caufield draws a tripping penalty on the pass from Nick Suzuki.
• He’s a bit slow to get up. The 22-year-old body isn’t as invincible as the 21-year-old version.
• Brendan Gallagher wants nothing to do with a power play and takes a high-sticking penalty.
• 3-0. I think that was another power-play goal. Are they going to give up even more than nine tonight?
• Caufield salvages the period with a goal in the final minute, giving him 22. That’s one off the total he had last season.

Second period

• A couple of chances in the opening minutes for the Habs, and Cole Caufield is at the centre of them.
• Caufield breaks his stick and Suzuki ices the puck because what’s the point in playing if Cole can’t shoot?
• Now Caufield has gone to the dressing room. What’s the point in playing if Cole can’t skate?
• Josh Anderson shoot far-side and Juuse Saros can’t get enough glove on the puck to stop it, so it’s a one-goal game.
• Nashvile hits the post, and then again, but not the third time. It’s 4-2 for the home side.
• Brendan Gallagher goes down and barely gets back up. He’s clearly dealing with a lower-body injury.
• Caufield is back, and that is excellent news.
• The refs miss a penalty on Anthony Richard, so they find something else to call moments later. That’s Cole’s music.
• Kirby Dach skates up the ice, sees an open lane to the offensive zone and ... doesn’t drop the puck back 50 feet to a teammate. What a concept that is.
• That was about the only notable thing that happened during the two minutes.
• Roman Josi gets the puck in an acre of open space. As soon as it was on his stick, you knew it was going in the net.
• Mike Hoffman takes a high stick. I didn’t even know he was playing.
• Alexander Ovechkin doesn’t get as much attention as the Predators are paying Caufield on this power play. They need another shooter on the top unit.

Third period

• Seconds into the third, there’s a high stick on Dach. There will be 21 seconds of five-on-three.
• Suzuki’s shot is stopped, and Caufield’s slices wide.
• A twangy guitar riff tells us that the power play wasn’t successful.
• Edmundson cross-checks Ryan Johansen right into and over Montembeault. You wonder which team he’s playing for sometimes.
• Josi tries to spin around Jake Evans and trips over his skates. Matt Duchene scores on the five-on-three.
• Short-handed, Suzuki stickhandles around two men along the boards, turns to make a play, and backhands the puck to the corner in disgust when he sees no one has jumped up to join him while down four goals.
• Brendan Gallagher scores in this third game back.
• Nice of TSN to comfort us by immemdiately starting a replay of yesterday’s WJC quarter-final. Connor Bedard tomorrow.

EOTP 3 Stars

3) You like to see year-over-year improvement

2) We expect full commitment to this goal

1) The problem is the other two goals to get to five