- Another game, another home-opener for an Original Six team. Can Montreal make Chicago regret this one like the Detroit Red Wings did?
First period
- The top line hits the ice and Juraj Slafkovský starts us off with an immediate scoring chance.
- The pressure from the top line on its second shift leads to Ryan Donato throwing the puck over the glass, and the second unit comes out to start.
- Nick Suzuki negates the final minute of the power play with a hold. Interestingly, we see a duo of Alex Newhook and Cole Caufield at four-on-four.
- Zachary Bolduc finds Kirby Dach streaking through the neutral zone with a perfect pass to give him some space, and Dach’s shot is just deflected off target by Brendan Gallagher.
- It is another case of the opponent get more early shots. Montreal is going for high-quality setups that just aren’t quite connecting right now.
- Jake Evans’s face survived until the third game before getting whacked with a stick.
- Lane Hutson decides to just charge right to the net on his zone entry. He doesn’t get a shot, but that’s something the Blackhawks will need to be mindful of.
- Zachary Bolduc gets shoved down from behind at centre ice, and that will be a five-on-three.
- Montreal is rolling different units at five-on-three. But they’re still looking to make the perfect play rather than one that’s perfectly good.
- Montreal is going to another power play because the Blackhawks can’t keep up with them. They have to make this one count.
- The Canadiens have completed their fourth power play and have generated three total shots in those minutes. No goals in the first period, and Montreal should have had one or two.
Second period
- Wyatt Kaiser cross-checks Ivan Demidov in the face. That goes uncalled, but Kaiser pushes the envelope with another high one, and goes to the box. The best way to protect your rookie is to score here and deter that behaviour from happening again.
- Cole Caufield has a puck fluttering toward the net in front of him and touches it into the net at just about the height of the crossbar. It was reviewed, but the goal will stand.
- Bolduc runs his point streak to three games on the goal with the primary assist.
- And after all that, Chicago ties the game right up. Sam Rinzel nets his first NHL goal.
- Now we have a brawl on the ice after Kaiden Guhle landed a crushing hit on Frank Nazar in the neutral zone. Louis Crevier will get an instigator penalty to charging at Guhle, and Montreal’s back on the power play.
- Now Bolduc upgrades to a three-game goal-scoring streak with a power-play marker. Keep punishing that goon behaviour.
- Well that a pathetic response from the crowd as the PA announcer details Rinzel’s first goal. That’s always a hearty ovation in Montreal.
- The Blackhawks are a little bit upset with Demidov tonight. Connor Bedard gives him a shot after the whistle. I think it’s just envy.
- Arber Xhekaj grabs onto Colton Dach, and the refs had to call that after all the power plays Montreal has had tonight.
- A short-handed two-on-one with Mike Matheson and Jake Evans requires an exceptional stop from Knight to keep the lead at just one.
- Chicago regroups and capitalizes on the power play. Nazar bounces the puck off Bedard and past Samuel Montembeault.
- Montreal is right back onto the power play as Sam Lafferty sweeps Hutson’s legs out from under him.
- Zero shots on that power play.
- Another brawl breaks out. I didn’t expect this to be such a physical game.
- Montreal on a power play, as it has been for half the night.
- Zero shots on that power play either.
- Anderson gets tripped as Dach can’t match his speed. A ninth power play for Montreal.
- Just get a shot at least.
- The score is tied 2-2 after 40 minutes despite all the power plays. You can handle that, but Montreal should have 28 shots at this point, not 18.
Third period
- Chicago spends the first minute on the attack … then takes another penalty.
- A little more urgency on this power play to keep the puck low and generate chances. No working it to the point to reload.
- Still just one shot.
- Nazar skates right between Guhle and Alexander Carrier, gets hooked, and now Chicago has the man advantage.
- Matheson’s stick breaks, about the 12th time that has has happened to a Habs defenceman this season, and Montreal is forced to defend with three-and-a-half players. The shift for Matheson ends up being about three minutes long as the Habs get trapped in their zone.
- Chicago is now the team controlling the play in the few odd seconds of five-on-five.
- A Chicago power play.
- This game is beginning to get the feel of a late Blackhawks winner.
- Montreal is at least beginning to push a bit now to keep the puck out of their zone.
- So my late winner sense was off. Guhle scores with 15 seconds to play.
- That’s quite the way to earn two points.
- Off to the home-opener on Tuesday night following a 2-1-0 road trip.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) They deserve credit for that
2) He just needs to get his line going
1) I’m sure we’ll be seeing some changes for the home-opener
