First period
- If this game goes the way it should, most of you should be able to go to bed after two periods.
- The effort is as high as it should be for the start of the game.
- But they’re still chasing and getting out of position on defence.
- Shots are now 3-1 San Jose, and the Sharks are going to the power play after Juraj Slafkovský slashed Tyler Toffoli (who’s obviously healthy enough to play). There’s no questioning the effort, but the decision-making has been suspect on Montreal’s half of the ice.
- San Jose makes two cross-ice passes in a row, and it’s a goal for Macklin Celebrini. Cutting those off is how the Habs had gotten their penalty kill into the league’s top five.
- Celebrini cross-checks Alexandre Carrier down and that’s a delayed call. Craig Button is upset there wasn’t also a call on Toffoli for slashing Nick Suzuki’s hands, and he is correct.
- Montreal achieved very little with their power-play time, struggling to get into the offensive zone with possession.
- Joel Armia rips the puck off the post on a two-on-one with Jake Evans.
- After two days of saying they needed to play better, the Canadiens came to San Jose and got outshot 12-7 in the opening period. That just isn’t good enough.
Second period
- Barclay Goodrow wraps his stick right around Alex Newhook’s head, and Montreal is off to an early power play looking to tie the game up.
- And they do that with a Cole Caufield goal from the circle.
Hutson-Suzuki-Caufield #Habs tie it up at one
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) February 5, 2025 at 12:36 AM
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- Alexandre Carrier looks a bit like Lane Hutson with his work walking across the top of he circles and making a pass, and he gets a point out of it as Newhook puts Montreal on top with the one-timer. I think watching Hutson work has inspired the veteran defenceman.
Dach tries to surprise Georgiev, play continues and Carrier tees up Newhook, #Habs take a 2-1 lead.
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) February 5, 2025 at 12:42 AM
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- Off a faceoff win, Newhook wheels into the slot and sends a shot off the post. I think Kevin Bieksa described that faceoff play as The Ovechkin on Saturday night.
- Owen Beck, a night after playing in the AHL All-star Game, spins and fires the puck, but it hits the post square and stays out.
- Montreal is making the Sharks look more like the worst team in the league now. San Jose couldn’t maintain their man-on-man pressure for long.
- Laine tries to brute-force himself some confidence by curling with the puck for about 10 seconds in the offensive zone. Getting a feel for the puck on his stick.
- San Jose puts the puck in by jamming it from under Samuel Montembeault’s pad. They’re reviewing it to if the puck went in before that, but that doesn’t appear to be the case on the looks TSN is showing.
- After a very long review, they can’t find an frame that shows the puck in the net before the jam play, so it remains 2-1.
- The first NHL goal for Collin Graf ties the game at 2-2. No review necessary on that top-corner rocket.
- Newhook loses body-positioning and pinches his man along the boards after he had passed the puck, and that’s an interference penalty.
- San Jose had one good look in the opening seconds, then Armia took over the remainder of the two minutes.
- Nick Suzuki sends a shot off the post, the third one of the period for Montreal.
- Hutson makes an excellent defensive play to squeeze his man off along the wall and then takes a high stick from another Shark following the play. A defensive stop and a drawn four-minute penalty for the rookie.
- They don’t score, but they will have three-and-a-half more minutes on it in the third, so don’t go to bed just yet….
Third period
- San Jose is getting the better looks on the power play. It’s not going well.
- Finally, in the dying seconds, Brendan Gallagher pokes in a puck off a pass that I think Kirby Dach intended to go to Christian Dvorak. No one will care how the goal was scored.
Kirby Dach finds Brendan Gallagher in front, and the #Habs have taken a 3-2 lead
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) February 5, 2025 at 1:39 AM
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- A strong shift from Beck nearly led to another Gallagher goal. Beck clearly gained some confidence from those three goals last night.
- Gallagher has another shot on his next shift. He’s been the best player in this period, and Beck is right there with him.
- Those two players are now going over the play on the tablet. Could be a bit of a partnership for them over the next couple of years.
- San Jose isn’t getting much zone time in this period, but it’s an extended shift when they do.
- This time they get a power play as a result with Arber Xhekaj heading to the box.
- A complete breakdown by the Habs on their zone entry denial sees Toffoli pick up the puck behind the line of defence and go in a breakaway to tie the game. You can’t possibly defend any worse on a PK.
- The Canadiens’ top line attempts to change on the fly with the puck in the offensive zone. Both Suzuki and Slafkovský took off to the bench just as the puck was sent to the spot their were standing in.
- San Jose is playing with intention in the offensive zone. Montreal is flipping pucks around hoping someone eventually finds himself open enough for a shot.
- Jayden Struble tosses the puck out of play, and it’s clear from his body language that it hit nothing on the way out. He’ll set for two of the final six minutes.
- Celebrini is bent over with his head in his hands after Montembeault sticks out his glove and essentially plucks the puck off his stick.
Samuel Montembeault what are you on, bro
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) February 5, 2025 at 2:03 AM
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- And moments later at the other end, the duo of Evans and Armia connects on yet another short-handed goal, this one to put the Habs ahead.
The penalty kill rewards Samuel Montembeault for his save. Jake Evans sets up Joel Armia, and the #Habs are up 4-3.
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) February 5, 2025 at 2:05 AM
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- Gallagher misses the empty net from San Jose’s blue line. He’s more of a close-range shooter.
- Montreal gives itself one final challenge with a turnover at the blue line again, but the Habs survive and claim the two points.
- Survive versus the league’s worst team. But two points are two points I suppose.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) Not the effort I was expecting

2) They really should try a line with just the two of them at five-on-five

1) We’ll have to take solace in getting the 1OA between Celebrini and Schaefer
