The first star of the game and the most noticeable player for both teams — Montreal’s new forward Alexander Radulov — gave us all the tickles with an impressive game. Knowledgeable hockey fans were loud in their recognition of his efforts, which, in his words, gave him the tickles. We’re tickled too, Alex.
Alexander Radulov has a complete game
The newly acquired forward has settled nicely into a role on the team’s second line, and like his centreman Tomas Plekanec, Radulov has shown the ability to play a 200-foot game. Monday night he set up two goals, being largely responsible for the play which lead to Shea Weber’s 1-0 goal in the second period, and then firing the one-timer which Brendan Gallagher tipped in for the game-winning goal in the third period. He capped off an impressive performance by stuffing in an empty net goal, getting himself a point on each Habs goal in yet another win.
Radulov isn’t just a one-trick, offensive pony, however. For the entire game, the veteran showed a willingness to backcheck, and to help lead the transition game in the neutral zone. He looked great rushing the offensive zone with puck possession and also was effective moving the puck to his teammates. Radulov routinely broke up plays and created turnovers, causing headaches for Philadelphia all night both on and off the scoresheet.
Montreal’s powerplay making adjustments
Speaking of Alexander Radulov, the big Russian was deployed on the point of the first powerplay unit for Montreal, to mixed results. Montreal failed to set up much on their first attempt, but looked much more composed the second time out. With Kirk Muller now in charge of the man advantage, the Canadiens are showing different looks than what we’ve seen in recent years, and an ability to go out and try new things.
In the final frame, Montreal’s man advantage finally got on the board, when Brendan Gallagher deflected a half-board shot by Alexander Radulov, who was fed by Shea Weber. The newly formed unit showed their ability to learn on the fly, which is something we would be happy to get used to seeing.
Early bird gets the worm
For the fifth time in their six games thus far, Montreal put up the opening goal in a game. Getting ahead first is the best way to control the pace and flow of a game, and their early leads have helped the Habs get out to a hot start in the NHL standings.
The Canadiens are the only team remaining in the NHL without a regulation loss. They haven’t played perfectly, but scoring first allows the team to make some mistakes, and that is even more true when your goalie is Carey Price.
The Canadiens have a strong four-line offensive structure
Montreal is benefiting from having a genuine top six, which allows the third and fourth lines to contribute within their means. Paul Byron and Torrey Mitchell have shown that they can be responsible and counter-attack effectively while allowing the Habs’ top scorers to get some rest on the bench.
Phillip Danault has also been steady and effective in shutting down opponents, but also in creating turnovers and quick rushes, which is exactly what you want in a depth player. Montreal’s depth is a serious threat, and one that will pay dividends the longer the season goes and the deeper they can make a playoff run. In the past, the Canadiens have seemed to be able to gather either a solid top line and too many depth players, or a great roster of bottom four forwards but no genuine first offensive line. This team is starting to look like it has all the tools to contend.
Solid options in waiting
There are some players who should be looking at the depth of this team as a means to motivate better performances. Sven Andrighetto and Daniel Carr are available players who would be anxious to get themselves back into the NHL lineup, and based on their performances last year, would both represent upgrades over depth players such as Brian Flynn.
Shea Weber has had a good effect on the team so far.
Despite a small sample size, it appears as though Shea Weber is a good match for this team. In the same way that Carey Price can make a difficult save appear easy, Weber defies the eye by being an exceptionally effective player and giving defensive and physical plays the illusion of being simple.
Early this year, Nathan Beaulieu appeared to punch above his weight when paired with Weber, and on the few occasions they’ve played together, Alexei Emelin has also benefited from the veteran leader. Emelin has had a positive Corsi percentage when paired with Weber. Having someone with a hockey IQ as developed as Weber is allowing Emelin to play his game without exposing too much weakness on the back end.
Where is Nathan Beaulieu?
If Nathan Beaulieu looked good playing with Weber, it should be surprising then, that the young man who may very well be our future top left-handed defenceman, struggled to get himself many significant minutes against the Flyers, coming in with a total of 14 minutes of ice time; after two periods, Beaulieu still had not seen even ten minutes of action. It’s unknown whether he’s in Michel Therrien’s doghouse (wouldn’t be his first visit) or if he has been suffering from any injury that is hampering his playing time.
Galchenyuk didn’t have his best game
Alex Galchenyuk is still young, and like every player, will have ups and downs in his career. His faceoff game was not great on Monday, winning a mere 10% of his draws. He had one of those games where he wasn’t bad, he didn’t generate giveaways to the detriment of the team, but he was just off from his game. He was a second slower getting rid of the puck in the offensive zone, a shade off with his shot and didn’t get set up properly on the powerplay.
It’s not all that concerning to have a single mediocre game, and there should be no cause for panic. The true question is how long of a leash the coach will give Chucky before he makes any changes to the lineup.
Like a favourite pair of slippers
With the game tied in the third period, Montreal began playing a style reminiscent of the last two years. Loose pucks were gathered and quickly fired down the ice, and icing became the name of the game. This was a refrain repeated far too often for fans’ liking under Michel Therrien; whenever the heat is on or he feels out of options, he reverts to the dump in and dump out system of play.
Fortunately, a well-timed powerplay broke the tie in the game and allowed for a bit more insurance. It’s worth noting, however, that with the game on the line, the Habs once again began depending on icing the puck instead of relying on carrying the puck out. This reflex has not been removed from the coach’s playbook.
Awaiting adversity
The Canadiens are off to a good start so far, but it’s important to keep our excitement in check. We all remember a solid start to last season and everyone knows how that turned out. Despite avoiding regulation losses to date, the Habs have not been convincing throughout all their games. In the season opener, they played an amazing ten minutes before playing down to the Sabres skill level.
The game against Philadelphia had a similar feel; Montreal started strong, but as the game wore on, most players faded and the energy dropped, allowing the Flyers to stay close and eventually tie the game. Lacking in the Habs wins is a consistent killer instinct, the ability to put a game beyond doubt against an overmatched opponent.
With scoring spread out, a new identity in the making and the return of Carey Price, the Canadiens have not encountered any serious adversity yet in this early season. While winning is comforting and a refreshing change of pace from how last year concluded, I’m reserving my excitement for when this team will first encounter a serious roadblock along their way. For now it’s “so far, so good.”
