Canadiens pick the wrong game for a night off

First period

• A sleepy start for the Canadiens, and Detroit is the only team getting shots, Montreal is doing more chasing than dictating.
• A game doesn’t really start until Montreal falls behind. They’re still waiting for Detroit to get its 1-0 lead.
• Maybe this is a new in-game strategy to keep the players fresh. Just don’t hit the on switch until the opponent makes you.
• The period is half over. I had to write something.
• Finally we have a Red Wings goal. Now the game can begin. Jonatan Berggren scores is.
• Montreal gets a shift in the offensive zone. They get a great chance from Cole Caufield, and a power play.
• Dach’s light slash on a Red Wings player snaps his stick in half, and that’s the end of the man advantage.
• For some reason Samuel Montembeault pushes across to the left side of the net while the pass goes to the right, and Alex DeBrincat scores one of the easiest goals of his life. I can’t explain that one.
• The comeback will have to be from two goals down now.

Second period

• Guhle takes a long time to get up after blocking a shot. His bruises must have bruises at this point.
• Concerningly, the Canadiens aren’t looking a whole lot better to start the second period. I thought that first period performance would have been enough.
• Moritz Seider is the latest player to have an issue with Jake Evans’s face, and goes to the box for roughing.
• One of the worst penalty kills in the NHL scores a short-handed goal. I don’t think the Habs are winning this game.
• Kirby Dach isn’t happy about falling down three goals it seems. He demanded the puck several times as the second unit got its chance, and ends up wrapping the puck into the net after the power play expires.

Kirby Dach takes advantage of some chaos in front for a wraparound, and gives the #Habs a glimmer of hope.

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— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) January 23, 2025 at 9:12 PM

• Who will join #77 in the fight?
• The team has a discussion about who actually scored the goal. In the end, it is Christian Dvorak’s. I don’t know, I don’t think that’s the most important thing to focus on at the moment.
• Nick Suzuki goes to the box for tripping as his feet hit DeBrincat’s as we was getting up off the ice.
• Once again, Montembeault moves off his post to open space for the puck to go in. Yes, he’s made a lot of good saves. He’s also gifted Detroit two of its four goals.
• Kaiden Guhle sends a wrist shot toward the net, and it goes through Dach’s screen. Patrik Laine did some great work on the zone entry to get the play started.

Kaiden Guhle sneaks one short side from the point, and despite themselves, the #Habs are within two goals here.

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— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) January 23, 2025 at 9:23 PM

• Dach still believes this game is winnable.
• Still a two-goal lead for Detroit after 40 minutes. At least Montreal looked better that period.

Third period

• Montreal is getting a few shots. It’s not exactly a blitz trying to complete this comeback.
• Caufield is stopped on a breakaway as Cam Talbot calmly gets a pad on the shot.
• The Red Wings are trying to see this game out, so there should still be chances for the Habs in this frame.
• I had to laugh a bit at Mike Matheson making a no-look backhand pass through the middle of the ice and seeing his expression change as it slid right to a Red Wings defenceman.
• Detroit puts the puck in the net … after Michael Rasmussen ran Montembeault over. That should have been a penalty, not just a waved-off goal.
• Detroit is challenging the play, so this should be a Montreal power play anyway.
• That is the case. Thanks, Todd McLellan, for giving Montreal a chance with that bad challenge.
• The Habs squander the gift, and that might have been their last chance to pull this off. They made the 31st-ranked penalty kill look really good there, and it’s +1 on the night.
• Alexandre Carrier is the one leading the offensive push in the final eight minutes.
• Montembeault makes a save while falling into his net to at least keep this game alive.
• Hutson is off to the box for interference, and Detroit has a chance to put this one away.
• Montembeault goes to the bench in one last effort to get this game close.
• Montreal gets some shots, but Detroit defends the cross-ice options well.
• Juraj Slafkovský gets his stick high in a faceoff battle, and will spend the final minute in the box.
• Montreal loses the game 4-2, unable to recover from a dismal start.

EOTP 3 Stars

3) I like this perspective

2) For use in emergencies only

1) A great chance to shout out their excellent work the past two seasons