First period
- The ref is calling Noah Dobson for a high stick even though he was playing the puck up the boards in the offensive zone.
- The Blues looked quite dangerous on the power play, so the Habs will have to not do things that the officials can interpret as penalties.
- Montreal is making it a bit too easy for the Blues to get to the slot right now, backing off too much and giving them a lane to the slot.
- The Habs are also getting too many players caught up ice for St. Louis counters.
- Facing almost no resistance, it’s no surprise that the Blues open the scoring. Not a single member of the Phillip Danault line with Zachary Bolduc and Brendan Gallagher was close to his man with the puck in Montreal’s zone, and it ended with an open-net goal for an unmarked Jonatan Berggren.
- Trap game it is. The Habs are showing zero interest in putting the necessary effort in today.
- With about seven minutes left to play in the period, Montreal tests Jordan Binnington, the goaltender with the fourth-worst save percentage among goalies to play at least 10 games, with a second shot.
- I think the third line would have better possession metrics if they stayed on the bench for their shifts. They all look lost on the ice.
- Surely the Canadiens can’t play any worse than that, so perhaps they can overcome this one-goal deficit in the second period.
Second period
- The Blues typically only score a couple of goals every game, so they’re comfortable playing with just a one-goal lead. Too comfortable today as their positioning in neutralizing the Canadiens’ speed.
- We probably should have known that the game would go this way given that, with the Detroit Red Wings losing today, there was another chance to take the division lead. That’s been a recipe for a rough match in recent weeks.
- St. Louis isn’t pushing anything. Every time Montreal manages to get the puck out of the zone, there are at least two defenders in the neutral zone. Maybe one day the Habs will play like that, too.
- Pavel Buchnevich tripped Alexandre Carrier in the offensive zone, and the Canadiens get a reprieve from the suffocating checking with a power play.
- What they get instead is a collision at centre ice between Hutson and Ivan Demidov, and then whiffs from both players as they try to break up the short-handed chance that ensues. Just a total lack of any type of execution from Montreal today.
- Carrier gets taken down again, and the Blues will get another short-handed opportunity.
- Montreal gets a great chance as the side of the net as Demidov gets an open look. The puck bounces up in the air, but before it falls to where Suzuki can bat it in, Colton Parayko slashes him in the neck. The captain drops, but is good to stay out for the five-on-three.
- The Habs try a five-way passing play at the end of the five-on-three, but Binnington gets his stick on the last one that was going across to an open Suzuki to end the play.
- Gallagher ends what remains of the power play with a hook, and now the Blues will have most of a two-minute power play.
- Montreal puts in one good shift to end the period with a couple of scoring chances, but Bolduc can’t take advantage of the best one as he gets the puck all alone to test Binnington.
- I may have been wrong about them not being able to play worse than they did in the first. The simplest plays like passes and stick-handles are insurmountable challenges today.
Third period
- Slafkovský takes a stick in the face, and it’s another power play for Montreal. They’ve been granted their opportunities.
- Gallagher fires a shot off a Hutson entry and hits the post. He’s been a different player after the first period.
- Sammy Blais gets the puck in the low slot with Binnington spinning as he can’t find it. Still Montreal can’t get the puck to go in.
- A few good shifts in a row for the Canadiens. This is usually when fatigue sets in for a team that played the previous day.
- Texier has the puck come to him right in the crease. Again Binnington isn’t following the puck. Still the Habs sit at zero goals.
- Fowler has gone to the bench with just under four minutes to play.
- Binnington is prostrate on the ice. Suzuki’s shot hits his pad and stays out.
- Montreal continues to get chances that should be going in for goals but aren’t. We can only hope Binnington’s luck follows him to Italy.
- That’s Binnington’s first shutout of the season, and just the second time Montreal has failed to score this year.
- As frustrating as the game was, the Habs didn’t start on time to deserve anything better. They’ll need to be ready tomorrow versus the Dallas Stars.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) At least the three that would have changed the result
2) He plays five-on-four and six-on-five, but not when he would have the most space to exploit
1) Let’s see him carry that play through the second half
