First period
- It was an energetic start for Montreal, and two-and-a-half minutes in they get a goal. The puck follows Brendan Gallagher out of the corner on a poor pass from Drake Batherson. Gallagher collects, it, turns around, and beats Linus Ullmark for his 15th goal of the season.
Probably a missed interference call against Anderson, but a giveaway right to Brendan Gallagher in the slot makes it 1-0 #Habs
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) February 22, 2025 at 8:22 PM
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- The many Canadiens fans in attendance really like that one.
- There’s now a loud “Go Habs Go!” chant. I think Ottawa fans are just resigned to these being road games for them.
- Juraj Slafkovský gets a shot from close-range thanks to Cole Caufield stealing the puck on an attempted clear. Ullmark stops this one.
- He doesn’t stop Caufield’s shot though. Make that 27 on the season for the 4 Nations snub.
Great forechecking from Slaf on this play, eventually a shot from Arber Xhekaj bounces right to Cole Caufield. He won't miss from there. 2-0 #Habs
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) February 22, 2025 at 8:26 PM
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- He’s still on pace for about 40 goals.
- Garry Galley it giving advice to the Senators on how to get back in this game.
- It’s kind of ironic that the player in this game most inspired by Brady Tkachuk’s run with Team USA was Slafkovský.
- Montreal has all momentum, but the Senators will get the first power play after Josh Anderson tapped Matthew Highmore’s hand and send him flying through the air.
- Taking penalties is the one thing you can’t do versus the Senators.
- And that’s why. Jake Sanderson makes it 2-1 with a shot from up top.
- Lane Hutson is wearing a neck guard and I don’t think he was before the break. He must have seen Kaiden Guhle’s injury at some point.
- Mike Matheson not only hands the puck to Tim Stützle on a blue-line pass, but can’t catch him in a race down the ice and that ends in Stützle tying the game.
- And Patrik Laine gets the lead right back on the power play. Lane Hutson walked the puck in looking like he was going to shoot. Four Senators players raced out to block his lane, and he quickly sent the puck across to Laine for a bomb.
Lane Hutson puts it on a platter for Patrik Laine, and the #Habs re-take the lead 3-2.
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) February 22, 2025 at 8:54 PM
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Second period
- Hutson has taken the neck guard off for the second period. Only one point in that period, so it won’t do.
- Slafkovský forgoes a 50/50 pass for a breakaway to Nick Suzuki and carries it up the ice for a two-on-two instead. He ends up getting a great scoring after a pass from Suzuki.
- On the next shift, the Canadiens restore the two-goal lead they’d earned early in the game. Ullmark allowed a huge rebound off a Gallagher shot in front, and even Anderson couldn’t miss that open net.
Brendan Gallagher just throws one on net, Ullmark gives up a juicy rebound, and Josh Anderson is happy to clean it up. 4-2 #Habs
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) February 22, 2025 at 9:28 PM
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- The Senators can’t handle Montreal’s forecheck at the moment so they’re just grabbing bodies, heads, and sticks when the puck is in their zone. Because they’re down two goals, the refs let them get away with it.
- They couldn’t get their grubby little hands on Slafkovský, though. For the second time tonight, the puck dribbled off he stick of Batherson right to a Habs player, and this time Slafkovský pounded it behind Ullmark to make it 5-2.
Nick Suzuki's pass into the middle gets tipped, but it sits there for Juraj Slafkovsky, and he ends Ullmark's night. 5-2 #Habs
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) February 22, 2025 at 9:39 PM
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- Joel Armia gets hauled down, but now the lead is three goals,so that definitely doesn’t get called.
- The Senators are very unhappy with the lack of calls on Montreal.
- All the whining worked for Ottawa. Laine gets called for tripping after making light contact on a Sens player while attempting to play the puck in the offensive zone.
- The Senators will have 80 seconds to work with on the man advantage in the third period.
Third period
- Sportsnet shows Travis Green complaining to the refs about the officiating. In a game his team is losing 5-2 and he has a two-to-one advantage in power plays.
- But, as discussed in the preview, the only chance his team has to get back in this game is to spend a large portion of this final frame with an extra player on the ice.
- The power play is over. Green’s lobbying will need to begin again.
- They may need the extra player, but sending out six isn’t going to work Travis.
- Slafkovský spins to toss the puck into the zone and Ridly lands a high hit on him. Slafkovský gets up with his fists flying and takes Greig to the ice.
Slafkovsky and Greig have a go
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) February 22, 2025 at 10:28 PM
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- Joel Armia steals the puck just above the goal line and only a great glove save from Anton Forsberg keeps this game at 5-2.
- The final minutes of this game are being played out in Ottawa’s zone.
- The refs give Green what he was looking for about half an hour ago with a power play in the final minute.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) If that means his first fight post-4 Nations is with Mark Scheifele instead, I think we’ll be happy
2) Andlauer may want to rethink those Quebec City games
1) That effort at his size will unlock a lot more of his game
