Top Six Minutes: Patrik Laine scores in winning Habs debut

First period

Patrik Laine gets into the starting lineup.
Samuel Montembeault gets a big early save. The Canadiens haven’t been getting many of those lately.
Maxim Tsyplakov tries to stay with Lane Hutson as he twists in the defensive zone, but can only keep his foot in contact. He’ll sit for tripping.
Laine gets a shot seven seconds into the power play. Do you suppose he was one of the people yelling “Shooooooooot!” at the top unit in the opening part of the season?
Laine and Caufield are both on the same unit, passing the puck back and forth to one another.
The crowd is very quiet tonight. I think they just want a goal to cheer with Laine playing.
A few missed chances right at the top of the crease for Montreal, but they’re getting them.
Mike Matheson hits another post. There is a bit of bad luck for him to go with his bad outing last game.
Lots of possession time, several chances created, very few shots on goal. But, if they keep making these passes to the crease, you’ll take a lack of shots for the ones that will connect for goals.
Hutson somehow got a shot off a puck that came from behind his shoulder. He just can’t get them to go in the net yet.
Jayden Struble gets called for making a hit about half a second after the puck left the stick of Oliver Wahlstrom. A difficult situation for a player playing his off-side and having his stick to the middle of the ice.
Montreal has six shots, but they’ve been credited with 11 scoring chances. I think we can accept that.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau hits the post, but Struble is freed from the box without facing a one-goal deficit.
Cole Caufield gets pitchforked in the nose. At least he gets some power-play time because of it.
Patrik Laine scores his first goal as a Montreal Canadien! That’s what the crowd was waiting for.

PURE LAINE

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— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) December 3, 2024 at 9:14 PM

Anderson gets called for interference. See, Montreal just isn’t good enough to get away with these picks yet.
Montembeault is tracking the puck well tonight. And not sliding all over the place.
After a long defensive-zone presence, Caufield gets a breakaway from his own blue line, but Ilya Sorokin reads his blocker-side shot.
Arber Xhekaj gets called for interference more in the spirit of the call made on Struble in the first. He missed the puck and had to knock down a player blowing past him with speed.
Two big saves for Montembeault. Playing like a man who will be donning a Team Canada jersey in a couple of months.
And two incredible saves from the goaltender after falling on his backside.
Only one great save on the next sequence. The second got behind him. He did all he could after the Habs started to head up ice and left Anders Lee behind them.
The usual rough patch in a second period that results in a goal, but at least it wasn’t three or five. That was mostly thanks to Montembeault as the Islanders had 17 shots and 2.53 expected goals in the middle frame.

Anderson used his speed to gain the zone, allow everyone else to enter, then played the puck to the point. He’s a real hockey player now.
Montreal is looking better in the third. A lot more engaged in the play.
Hutson drove deep and sent the puck back to the slot. Brendan Gallagher missed the net. He has 16 assists, and could easily have twice that many.
Laine just had an offensive-zone shift of over 2:00, but only moved when he had to. Montreal got several scoring chances from his plays.
Laine is really showing off some smart puck-moving talents. Not just tossing the puck around, but evaluation options and usually making the right one.
Guhle takes a high stick with 19 seconds left in regulation. Montreal gets a late chance to end this.
It’s a four-minute penalty.
Matheson lifted the stick right into Guhle’s face. The refs review the penalty, and decide that since Matheson had lifted the stick, Maxim Tsyplakov wasn’t responsible for it.

Nick Suzuki has a chance to attack with speed, but leaves the puck behind.
Montreal has had all of the possession so far.
A key backcheck from Hutson keeps Brock Nelson to the outside, leading to an easy save for Montembeault.
Jake Evans stops the puck before crossing the blue line, which killed a rush that was looking dangerous.
Nick Suzuki’s shot generates a rebound, and he gets to the rebound to end the game, giving Laine a 2-1 win in his debut.

Nick Suzuki, OT Winner Power of Friendship strikes again

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— Scott Matla (@scottmatla.bsky.social) December 3, 2024 at 10:37 PM

Laine finishes his first-star interview with a “merci beaucoup.” Always a crowd-pleaser.

3) Now if they could just string some good games together

2) The fans were all shouting out with glee

1) At least 20% better than Mike Hoffman