Comments / New

Canadiens vs. Senators Top Six Minutes: Montreal’s skill wins the day

Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

First period

  • Let’s have a good game with few stoppages for Garry Galley to speak into.
  • The game is as feisty as you’d expect.
  • Lane Hutson gets called for holding. His second penalty of the season after having to hang on after getting beat on the pivot. That will be an issue for him.
  • Kaiden Guhle bails out his teammate with two shot blocks and the final clear on the PK.
  • Montreal is still having issues with zone exits. Taking too much time to make their plays.
  • Brady Tkachuk gets his forearm into Kirby Dach’s face. A chance for the Habs’ power play.
  • A great look for Cole Caufield, but he flubs the end of the four-way passing play
  • Emil Heineman shows off his main attribute by firing home a power-play goal. His first in the NHL.
  • Another point for Hutson, who eschewed the drop pass on his rush. I don’t think there will be many games during his career when he doesn’t have at least one.
  • Artem Zub covers the puck near the top of the crease. The Habs jab it out and get several scoring chances. the sequence ends with a vicious cross-check form Zub to Josh Anderson’s ribs as he’s down on the ice. That should have been more than a minor penalty.
  • The second unit continues to look better than the first. Oliver Kapanen did some good work on that power play.
  • Cole Caufield scores on a signature snipe, and now has goals in three consecutive games, and now 11 in his last 12 games played.

Second period

  • Now to see how the Canadiens play with their first multi-goal lead of the season.
  • One thing the Senators don’t have is speed. At four-on-four, the Canadiens are able to launch offensive rushes and still get back in time if the puck comes the other way.
  • The Senators have the possession at the moment, but the Canadiens still look the most dangerous when they head up the ice. The Habs look like they could score at any moment.
  • Montembeault makes an incredible save on a rebound shot from point-blank range. He’s looked solid, and reminds us he’s still pretty acrobatic as well.
  • He’ll get tested a few more times on the penalty kill as Anderson is called for tripping.
  • After another sound PK, the Canadiens get a look on a cross-ice one-timer for Nick Suzuki. Linus Ullmark makes the save.
  • Ottawa is beginning to get persistent zone time now. At least it wasn’t for the full second period.
  • A skilled team probably punishes the Canadiens for all the zone time. The Senators remain without a goal heading into the second intermission.

Third period

  • Michael Amadio’s name is being said a lot tonight as he gets offensive chances. Last year, it was often Vladimir Tarasenko and Claude Giroux who were Ottawa’s best players. At some point their young stars need to be the go-to- guys.
  • Brady Tkachuk goes to the box for slashing, and that means were about a minute away from Hutson time.
  • First we get a little Matheson time, as cuts through the entire Sens defence. He earns a penalty shot on the play.
  • He hits the post. Still a Habs PP though.
  • Four Senators players watch Hutson handling the puck and Brendan Gallagher just slips in behind to accept a pass. His teammates are starting to learn how to play with him.
  • Apparently they Hutson’s earlier point away, but he gets the primary assist by setting up a wide-open Alex Newhook.
  • Tim Stützle solves Samuel Montembeault for the first time this season with a perfect top-corner shot. That may not be a bad thing for Montreal to keep them engaged until the the of this game.
  • But it isn’t long before Caufield adds his second of the game and fourth of the season by following up a Suzuki breakaway.
  • Hutson’s passes are beginning to go astray in the third. Perhaps a bit of fatigue after playing three games in four days?
  • Senators pull Ullmark with about four minutes to play.
  • The Habs try to set up Caufield for his hat trick, but he misses on a couple of occasions. I’m sure he’ll be happy with the 4-1 win, and a 2-1 record on the season.

EOTP 3 Stars

3) Make that 109

2) Plenty of room to improve there

1) The guy doesn’t even have a goal. What’s all the hype about?

Support Habs Eyes On The Prize by signing up for Norton 360

Talking Points