First period
- To the Senators’ credit they’ve come out playing this game hard despite their place in the standings.
- Given the number of two-on-ones Ottawa is allowing, I can see why they are in such a hurry to score
- Montreal has had four point-blank chances in the opening minutes of the period as Ottawa’s defence has just evaporated. Perhaps the goalies aren’t the only ones to blame for all the goals against. Cole Caufield sent a shot from an open position just wide, and Mike Matheson failed to lift the puck over Joonas Korpisalo’s pad after getting in all alone.
- The greatest chance to open the scoring comes off the post from a Sean Monahan and right to the stick of Juraj Slafkovský, who reacts a split-second too slow to whack it into an open net.
- The play comes the other way ahead of the loping stride of Brady Tkachuk, and he beats Cayden Primeau blocker side.
- A two-on-one giving up on Montreal’s side sees a puck beat Primeau in the exact same spot, this time a shot from Tim Stützle, who was ice-cold coming into this game.
- There’s no reason to stop playing when down a few goals to this Senators team. Cole Caufield launched a shot that Korpisalo’s glove only stopped 78% of to make it a one-goal game.
- Now that Caufield realizes he’s playing a goaltender he can fire the puck through, he’s blasting every puck he gets.
- Michael Pezzetta and Zach MacEwen had been setting the terms of a fight since their first time on the ice, and with about 90 seconds to go, they finally drop the gloves for a fight right at centre ice. The decision goes to Pezzetta versus an opponent in a higher weight class.
- Trailing after one, but the Senators have settled down after their hot start, and this one is still available for the Habs. Caufield is on hat-trick watch facing this calibre of defence.
- Shots were 17-6 for the Senators. Expected goals are 1.8 to 1.0 as the Canadiens only generated great looks.
Second period
- Ottawa has started the second on fire as well.
- The Canadiens have only had mixed lines through the opening six minutes of the period because of a combination of mid-change icings and scrambles to get off the ice after bouts of Ottawa pressure.
- Just as the Canadiens were beginning to gain some momentum, a deflected shot catches Primeau lunging the wrong way, and Rourke Chartier drove to net, missed the rebound with his stick, but caught enough with his foot to send it into the net for a 3-1 lead.
- Jayden Struble jumped up into the play but just sent the puck wide.
- “Matheson bobbles the puck” at the blue line, as he does nearly every time it comes to him.
- Caufield has started passing up shots. Someone get him the tablet and show his his first goal again.
- Primeau gives the puck away to MacEwen behind the net, but the Sens forward can’t score. The camera shows him watching the replay, then punching himself in the face for the miss, which is something his hands are better at.
- Brendan Gallagher drew a penalty. The ref must not have seen the number before raising his arm.
- The have Slafkovský playing the bumper position so Matheson can make some passes to the right side of the zone.
- Vladimir Tarasenko fires a puck over Primeau’s glove. 4-1 Senators.
- There is a limit to how far you can get behind to this Ottawa team. They get another power-play chance to find another goal.
- The Senators thought they had increased that challenge to four goal, but Parker Kelly had skated right into Primeau in the crease to allow the goal to happen.
- The deficit is three goals heading into third.
Third period
- The Canadiens need a third period like Ottawa’s first if they want to make this game interesting. That’s unlikely to happen in a sixth game in nine days.
- The power play tries its best to find a second goal. The lanes Montreal wanted to exploit didn’t open up.
- 5-1 Ottawa shortly after the power play ends. Another transition goal.
- This is the fourth consecutive game between these two teams that the Senators have scored five goals.
- The Canadiens have resorted to running over arguably the worst goalie in the NHL this season, just in case you wanted an indication of how this game was going other than the scoreboard. Armia is the one going to the box.
- Armia went a bit too easy on his latest rush, pulling up well short of Korpisalo for a harmless wristshot.
- Montreal is now set up in a penalty-kill formation at five-on-five. I think they just want the game to end.
- Primeau goes to the bench with eight-and-a-half minutes to go in a four-on-four situation. So a little power-play practice at least.
- It just makes it 6-1, however.
- Kaiden Guhle goes down trying to break away, but Pezzetta follows him up to collect the puck and put it in the net. That goes along with the fight he had earlier.
- Struble goes to the box with four minutes to play, so call off the comeback.
- Ottawa wins 6-2. Off to Boston on Saturday for what is guaranteed to be a better game.
EOTP 3 Stars
3) He’s here for a good time
2) It worked like a Ducharme
1) They need to learn how to handle a forechecking team
