First period
- The Jets have come out with a strong start. Kyle Connor tested Samuel Montembeault 10 seconds in, and the puck has mostly been in Montreal’s zone since.
- The second shot Montembeault faces sees the goaltender slide off his angle as the puck comes in, and it just glances off his side and wide.
- Josh Anderson goes off for high-sticking (there have been a lot of those calls this season) and the Jets get the first power play. Montembeault is lunging all over the place trying to stop pucks. You have to appreciate the effort at the very least.
- Kyle Connor gets the puck at the side of the net and opens the scoring.
- Montreal needs to get into this game in a hurry. There’s no excuse for losing tonight.
- Montembeault makes a good save on a two-on-one. Shots are 8-0 Winnipeg.
- The Habs’ first shot comes after a spirited shift from Phillip Danault’s trio. Gallagher made a nice move at the side of the net, and Anderson launched a quick shot from the slot.
- Now Montreal is playing. The team is more than capable of overcoming a one-goal deficit.
- Connor hits the post in his bid for a second goal.
- Another big save from Montembeault on a two-on-one that developed out of nowhere. It’s been too common recently that the Canadiens go from perfectly fine coverage to losing their man at the last second before a pass comes to him. They need to stick with the checks all the way through. Juraj Slafkovský was guilty of letting up on the play a second too early on that occasion.
- Now Winnipeg’s top line spends a full shift in the Habs’ zone as all the defenders just chase whoever has the puck.
- Despite how poorly they’ve played the period overall, it just took one strong shift from the Slafkovský trio to tie the game. They did the work along the boards to get the puck free to the point, and Connor Hellebuyck spilled a rebound right onto the stick of Oliver Kapanen, who patiently pulled it out of his range and fired it in the empty net.
- Kapanen continues to be a standout player for the Canadiens this week. I’ve been very impressed by him.
- Gustav Nyquist winds up and whacks Mike Matheson’s stick away in front of Montembeault, so now he’ll watch the Habs go to work on the power play.
- Slafkovský did much better coming back on Adam Lowry while short-handed, riding him right into the corner glass.
- Zachary Bolduc skates across the front of Vladislav Namestnikov and knocks the stick out of his hand. On this night, interfering with a penalty-killer at the blue line is an infraction.
- Matheson leads the charge on the brief period of four-on-four trying to find a goal, but the period will end in a tie.
- They shouldn’t have required it, but the Canadiens recovered well after a horrendous start to almost even up the shots by the end of period, and did even up the score. Now they have to hold Connor from scoring a second power-play goal in the opening 1:24 of the second period.
Second period
- The Habs did a better job of holding their positions on that power play and killed it off. Hopefully that’s an indication that they’ve settled down now.
- Cole Caufield looks at an almost empty net, but Hellebuyck reaches out makes a save with the paddle of his stick.
- The Jets just kind of stand around with the puck in the neutral zone, and Kaiden Guhle jumps up to go in on a two-on-one with Jake Evans. Guhle makes a nice saucer pass to give Evans an open look, but Hellebuyck makes the stop.
- It did lead to an offensive-zone faceoff, however, and a Jayden Struble point shot was tipped crest-high by Josh Anderson and in to put Montreal up 2-1.
- Winnipeg almost tied it up immediately afterward, but Montembeault is battling hard to keep the puck out tonight. It’s not pretty, but it’s been effective.
- Oh my! Hutson just completed one of the goals of the season. Anderson crosses the blue line backward, and slings the puck on his backhand to an open Hutson. Hutson has to accept the puck turned sideways in the slot, but spins to his backhand side and finds a hole between Hellebuyck and the post to send it in.
- These are the Canadiens I expected to see tonight. Winnipeg has no chance versus this pace.
- Anderson is incredible right now. Protecting the puck, shielding off defenders, making passes. He has two points and looks like he could set a new all-time points mark.
- Winnipeg gets a flurry of chances, but Montembeault calmly denies them all. He gets a “Monty!” chant from the many Canadiens fans in attendance.
- He’s looking more confident with every save he makes. This is exactly the performance you want from him to carry some confidence into the Olympic pause.
- That was more like it from Montreal. They did let up in the final few minutes and allow several scoring chances, but had done the work to get a two-goal lead before that. One more goal early in the third would probably be enough to see out a win.
Third period
- The Jets get a cycle on the wall after Montreal spent a shift in the offensive. Winnipeg gets a power play from their effort, and you just have to accept that that’s going to happen in this period.
- Anderson shields off two players and goes in for a short-handed chance. What a night for him. Montreal could use more of that after the Olympics.
- The Canadiens are just working on defending at the moment. Winnipeg has a 31-21 shot edge, but the Habs still have their two-goal lead.
- Montreal does on a counter-attack after a long sequence of keeping the Jets on the perimeter, and Mike Matheson draws a slash from Josh Morrissey. Time to put Winnipeg away.
- With three seconds left on the power play, the second unit comes through. Dach makes a pass across the crease at the last possible second, and Brendan Gallagher just has to get the angle right to send it in.
- A three-point night for Gallagher as he duels with Anderson and Montembeault for the performance of the night.
- “Olé, Olé Olé Olé!” The Habs fans are enjoying this February night in Winnipeg.
- Hellebuyck has gone to the bench with over five minutes to play. Whether he was called or just got tired of play for this team, who knows.
- Gallagher misses two attempts at the empty net, Anderson follows up the second by hitting the post. Martin St-Louis wanted to reward them for their great play, and they almost added to their point totals this game.
- Logan Stanley hits the post. The Jets are still three shots away from tying the game.
- St-Louis is smiling on the bench as the empty net is missed once again. They were scoring more easily when Hellebuyck was in.
- Unfortunately for Gallagher, his final inscription on the game sheet will probably be for a hooking penalty with 1:48 to go. One last penalty kill before everyone can rest.
- Danault finally solves the empty net. Every member of the fourth line will finish the night with a goal.
- With the win, Montreal will at least ensure a playoff spot throughout the Olympic break, and could be as high as second depending on how the remaining game goes for the Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres.
- Montreal will be back in action on February 26 versus the New York Islanders. In the meantime, Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovský, Oliver Kapanen, and hopefully Alexandre Texier will play in the Olympics in Milan.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) He deserved his flowers tonight
2) I don’t even think he knew how he was going to make that happen when he saw the puck coming his way
1) Since you asked so nicely….
