After three nights off in a row, one would think the Montreal Canadiens would bring some energy into their game with the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. They did no such thing, looking rather listless despite going up two goals on just two shots early on in the first period. The Flyers were in control of that game nearly from start to finish, and there was but one reason the Habs earned a point for getting to overtime.
That reason was of course their goaltender, Cayden Primeau.
Primeau made 37 saves through regulation and overtime, and if not for a Sean Couturier goal in the shootout, he just may have stolen the extra point there as well. With the Habs failing to crack the 20 shot mark on their part, Primeau was the far busier goaltender on the night, and his team owes him a debt of gratitude for refusing to allow their flat effort to end in embarrassment.
While such a performance can be quite fun to watch, it is getting a tad concerning how often the Habs need their goaltenders to steal points lately. This time, it wasn’t even due to them sitting on a lead, they looked bad even while they were building their lead. Usually their play deteriorates once they get up, but it was bad from the initial puck drop in this one.
On the bright side, a team looking to trade one of their goaltenders appears to have two who can commit highway robbery at will. If they do move someone, they’ll still want the future of the position to be secure, and these recent performances suggest it should be regardless of who they move.
If they can figure out how to play better hockey consistently in front of performances like Primeau’s, wins won’t be so hard to come by.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. Quick turnaround this time, as we’ll be right back tonight after the Habs take on the San Jose Sharks.
