First period
- A very nice shift from the Suzuki line, thanks to Juraj Slafkovský winning more puck battles. Cole Caufield is learning how to support him when he’s doing that, as he did so well last season when his cycling game was strong.
- Another Slafkovský shift, more Slafkovský puck-battle wins, and a couple of dangerous chances.
- Habs are all over the Islanders to start.
- A good chance for Caufield, but Semyon Varlamov makes the save. Chances every shift for this line.
- Josh Anderson forces Varlamov into an awkward save on a far-side shot.
- Slafkovský gets a point-blank chance off a feed from Nick Suzuki standing behind the net. One of these games they’re going to explode for about five goals. Ideally in Carolina or Tampa.
- Brendan Gallagher tips the puck off the post, then whacks the rebound off the foot of Alexander Romanov.
- This is getting to the point where the Canadiens need a goal to get something from this good start.
- Montreal only has nine shots, but about eight minutes of O-zone possession it seems.
- Another look for Gallagher. So that’s two lines going at the same time, which is a rare thing this season.
- Joel Armia’s attempt to play defence was, well it wasn’t pretty.
- The Islanders are lucky to get out of the first period without surrendering a goal. The Canadiens need to play the same way for 40 more minutes.
Second period
- A great chance for Sean Monahan, but Varlamov makes another save from close range. The Canadiens start the second period like they played the first, and that’s encouraging.
- The Islanders get the puck into Montreal’s zone, and the result is a power play as Johnny Kovacevic goes off for tripping. At the very east, they’ll get a reprieve from the constant Habs pressure.
- Following up the PK with an immediate Suzuki line shift? St-Louis is really starting to trust this trio. As he should, considering they have an expected-goals share over 95% in this game.
- Finally it results in a goal, as Joel Armia picks the far-side top corner. That might just open the floodgates now that they know Varlamov can be solved.
- Josh Anderson scores! There was a goaltender in the net, and puck went in anyway. It’s a miracle!
- Good on Jake Evans for setting the screen there.
- Nice hand-eye coordination from Jesse Ylönen to bunt a shoulder-high puck out into the neutral zone to get a change.
- Slafkovský just tosses his man to the ice so he can get to the corner where the puck is. He’s not even a fully-grown man yet.
- Anderson gets his stick knocked out of his hands from Brock Nelson, and the Canadiens get their first power play.
- Matheson tries to hold a puck in at the line, but allows a short-handed breakaway. An excellent backcheck from Caufield thwarts the chance.
- Monahan just about scores on the next attack at the other end of the ice.
- Seven shots on the power play. No goal, but this Islanders team is running on empty now.
- The Islanders get a rare shot and they whack away at Samuel Montembeault in case this is the only chance they get for a goal. The Canadiens aren’t too happy about that, as you can imagine.
- Anderson winds up and misses the net. But he sticks with it, powers his way to the net, and forces the puck into the net for his second of the night.
- The floodgates are indeed open. Caufield makes it 4-0 after Slafkovský earns a takeaway behind the net.
- Now the scoreboard more reflects the way this game has gone.
- A four-goal period for Montreal, and the third has been their best frame the past few games. They should be able to see this one out versus a team that was tired coming in and just allowed 36 shots in 40 minutes of play.
Third period
- Caufield draws a penalty 37 seconds in after getting slashed with the puck in the slot.
- It’s a disastrous power play. The Islanders score after playing keepaway and somehow still setting themselves up a two-on-one.
- Now New York has all the momentum.
- 2-0. St-Louis needs to use his timeout.
- And he does. It’s a very calm discussion at the bench, which is the mood you need to convey in this situation.
- Caufield gets taken down. A third of the crowd boos, the rest pray the ref’s hand doesn’t go up.
- Montreal has one shot in the first six minutes.
- The Canadiens have settled down to at least trade rushes with the Islanders.
- We’re just playing running time here, which is perfectly good for Montreal.
- The puck goes out of play with 6:01 left. The Canadiens are at least going to get another commercial break if they need another minute to settle down the rest of the way, but they’ve recovered well enough to hold their two-goal lead without just going into a shell.
- Bo Horvat scores. It’s 4-3. This one is now in danger of slipping away.
- Slafkovský and Dobson have some words after a scrum.
- The crowd buzzes and Anderson gets the puck in the offensive zone, hoping to see him complete the hat trick.
- Varlamov heads to the bench. Slafkovský just misses the empty net from a sharp angle.
- Christian Dvorak doesn’t from just outside his blue line. A bit of breathing room.
- The Habs leave home with a 5-3 win, It’s the third time they’ve scored five goals in a game, and the first time they’ve won.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) This is why everyone tries to force passes to him
2) That speech goes right into the recycle bin
1) Now if we could just see them in the lineup at the same time
