10 Thoughts – Marauding in Motown

Coming off of their first game – and first loss – of the season, the Montreal Canadiens remember very well from last season that every point counts. They dropped the first game to their often most hated rivals, and absolutely needed to win tonight to establish their hegemony over the bottom half of the Atlantic Division. Players such as Patrik Laine and Kirby Dach were on track for a bounce-back game, as they were able to get their feet wet in a tight contest against Toronto but did not show the jump you may expect at the start of a new season. For veterans, it sometimes takes time to start up the engine in real-game-speed.

Thursday’s game against the Motor City rivals probably had more implications than just Detroit’s home/season opener, Montreal’s second game, and any importance assigned by individual players. If the projections for the season are even mildly accurate, these two teams will be fighting for a spot in the playoffs up through the Spring. That means that every single meeting is consequential for not only gaining points, but taking them from your direct competition.

Habs Lineup

Cole Caufield — Nick Suzuki — Juraj Slafkovsky
Zachary Bolduc — Kirby Dach — Brendan Gallagher
Alex Newhook – Oliver Kapanen — Ivan Demidov
Josh Anderson – Jake Evans – Patrik Laine  

Mike Matheson – Noah Dobson
Kaiden Guhle — Lane Hutson
Arber Xhekaj – Alexandre Carrier 

Jakub Dobes 

10 Thoughts

1) Launching from the opening faceoff, Montreal and Detroit traded chances and possession. Each team got a few glancing shots and exchanges before the Red Wings started to establish some zone time. Dobes was forced to make some solid pad saves while the Habs chased the puck and Alex DeBrincat around the zone. If the casual observer thought the Toronto ice was choppy from all the rolling pucks, prepare yourself for the Little Caesars Arena ice.

2) The Canadiens took the first penalty while aggressive on the attack, as Dobson tried to enact retribution for a hit he took. The blueliner sat as the Red Wings gained the zone repeatedly, and then the great American went to work. Patrick Kane moved the puck below the zone and laid a slick saucer pass right into the slot; the puck skipped over his teammates’ stick and perfectly onto Dylan Larkin’s, who made no mistake. For Detroit, in their home/season opener, getting the first goal was crucial. After the goal, the top line got their chance to play for nearly the first time this game. They achieved a few chances, Caufield and Suzuki both got shots off, and then the choppiness returned to the flow of the game. After feasting on minuses last night, they certainly looked to comport themselves well.

3) Detroit winger Marco Kasper took an interference penalty by delivering a square jab/shove into Kirby Dach’s chin as the two disagreed about who had the right of way en route to the bench. The first unit went and established some zone time off of faceoff wins, but did not accomplish meaningful chances outside of some net-front whiffs by Juraj Slafkovsky and an excellent tip attempt from Dobson to Gallagher. Principally, the Habs had a difficult time gaining the line and rotating the defenders to create any openings.

4) With 9:46 remaining in the first, Zachary Bolduc broke away from the defenders and took a one-touch pass from his linemate Gallagher, and wired his wrist-shot past Gibson. The seemingly calm play turned dramatic as the Montreal defender Mike Matheson stayed hot in his own way, as he sent his pass across the length of the neutral zone to Gallagher in order for him to feed Bolduc. While Logan Mailloux may have successfully cracked the opening night roster in St. Louis, the CH certainly can puff their chest out at the early returns on that particular trade. Oliver Kapanen continues to cement his status within the regular lineup as his 200-foot game shines. He is reliably predictable in the defensive zone, and as the coach said, the offensive production will come as he grows into the NHL game. In the latter half of the period, Kapanen initially led a 2-on-1 but put the pass into Demidov’s legs. Only 15 seconds later, Demidov provided an eerily similar pass as Matheson’s to Newhook, who burst into the zone with Kapanen and they were able to seal the goal to make it 2-1 Canadiens.

5) Brendan Gallagher took a high-sticking penalty against Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, leading to Jakub Dobes making some excellent saves to preserve the lead at 14:55 of the first. His size continues to serve the role very well, enabling him to get pieces of shots that smaller goalies have no chance on. This is especially noticeable when opposing teams get the goalies to move side to side, opening up more holes to shoot at. With Dobes’ large frame, there is simply less space and more incidental blocks from his shoulders and skates. With just 6.7 seconds remaining in the first period, the Habs quickly transitioned a lost possession in the defensive zone, and as they gathered the puck, it was worked up to Suzuki, who sent a calm pass over to a streaking Matheson, fourth into the zone. The local kid stickhandled twice before sending a seeing-eye shot past Gibson for a two-goal buffer in favor of the visiting squad.

6) The second period was characterized by grinding play in both the neutral zone and below each team’s goal line. With nearly four minutes gone, each team had similar chances as the first few of the game, exchanges in possession, with one shot or so. That was the case until Patrick Kane took a won faceoff and lasered a shot off the bar in a scary moment for the CH faithful. In a similar fashion, Alex Carrier sent a soft shot towards the net as the teams traded possession and Bolduc was there to provide a screen and help the Habs go up 4 – 1. Notably, both Laine and Arber Xhekaj received their first significant puck touches on the same play, as Xhekaj skated the blue line in the offensive zone with confidence, putting the puck on net, getting it back, and feeding Laine in the slot as Arber skated below the circle. Laine has looked both active and invisible, similarly to Dach at the start of the season this year. If you even notice him on the ice, it’s because the puck has found its way to him; a statement that applies to both world-class talents.

7) Late in the second period, the Red Wings continued their undisciplined play by taking an additional two penalties. They escaped the first unscathed, and both units took about 60 seconds of possession and moved the puck around. Laine was able to get his patented shot off, but Ivan Demidov was limited in his involvement. The top unit was able to produce for their first of the season, as Slafkovsky finished off a rebound in front to chase John Gibson from the game in favor of Cam Talbot.

8) The hometown team came out for the third period as flat as they performed in the second, with very little fight and sluggish legs. The Candiens, in contrast, pushed the pace and went for their chances on the rush. Demidov, Hutson, Newhook, and Dach all got shots in the first few minutes. Hutson and Demidov continued to dazzle with their skating, escaping from closing ice and sending the Wings into their own ice clouds via quick turns.

9) Once the Red Wings remembered the importance of the game, they were able to establish some forecheck and earned a power play at 14:28 of the third. Xhekaj was called for holding the stick of Compher, a liberal definition of the rule at best, and the following disadvantage provided for some sensational saves from the young Czech netminder out of Ohio State. His engagement with the game was evident just from watching his body language as well, as when the puck was worked back to the point on the power play, Dobes was seen leaping in the air to look over the bodies of the screening players in order to track the puck. Last season, critics often noted how he seemed to be moving a bit too excessively in the net. So far, after one game, the energy feels consistent but his play appears much more structured.

10) With a little over three minutes left, Gallagher took a tripping penalty on Simon Edvinsson, a player almost twice his size. The referees are clearly still becoming acclimated to full-speed hockey, as there were a few “interpretive” calls. The penalty that Josh Anderson drew comes to mind, as he experienced less contact than Edvinsson clearly did. As a result, Dobes continued to shut the door on the Red Wings, and especially DeBrincat, rightfully labelled by local broadcasters as snakebitten for this game. The overall ending, however, was less than ideal for the home team as they fell 5 – 1 to a dominant Les Habitants; the team that has already taken points from a division rival that they cannot get back.

HabsWorld Habs 3 Stars

1st Star – Zachary Bolduc 

The second star in the opener, it is undoubtedly appropriate to assign him the first star in this one. Bolduc was everywhere except for the penalty kill, laying out hits, blocks, and scoring two important goals for the visitors early in the game. His breakaway goal was placed in the same spot as his first career goal in Detroit, and he clearly feels comfortable against the Canadiens’ divisional and likely playoff opponents.

Stats: 1 goal, +2, 4 shots, 14:25 T.O.I. 

2nd Star – Oliver Kapanen 

Flipping spots with Bolduc, Kapanen must be honoured for his five-on-five play and all-around control whenever he was on the ice. His playstyle is not in-your-face, but rather consistent and reliable. His line did not last long in the defensive zone, and they quickly transitioned to attacking the Wings numerous times, often led by Kapanen on the rush. If these samples are representative of his future and potential, the Montreal Canadiens really ought to nurture the opportunity they have with this player. 

Stats: 1 goal, 1 shot, 1 hit(s), 1 hit, 14:40 T.O.I. 

3rd Star – Jakub Dobes 

Without key saves and a steady netminder, this game may have been significantly more chaotic and up for grabs than it turned out. Dobes was able to use his large frame and sound positioning to keep a plethora of deflections and broken shots from dribbling past him, maintaining the Habs’ lead and reinforcing his belonging in the lineup over Kaapo Kahkonen.

Stats: 30 SV, 1 GA, .968 SV%