(Montreal) Nature abhors a vacuum, and, frankly, is there emptier than three days in a row without a Canadian game in the middle of October?
This void is particularly felt when the last match before the said three days off ended in a bitter setback for CH and the captain and highest earner of the club, Nick Suzuki, is looking for himself. That was kind of the theme of the day this Saturday at the Bell Centre.
It started after morning practice, when Martin St-Louis argued that the media is quicker to focus on “the negative, on what needs to be corrected.” This is where colleague Luc Gélinas intervened with words of wisdom like only he holds the secret.
“Is it worse when you’re not playing? “, he suggested in St. Louis.
Coach’s response: “I know. You need to hold on to something! »
This time, however, St. Louis won’t have to worry about too much negative talk about its team between now and the next game, since the Habs defeated the Capitals 3-2 in overtime on Saturday night.
The power play took just 27 seconds to generate a goal, while Nick Suzuki and his wingers Cole Caufield and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard buzzed the opposing zone from their first presence. In short, from the outset, the famous negative aspects which had dominated the conversations took the edge.
That said, the doubts expressed about the captain’s outfit were clearly justified. St-Louis himself indicated this week that Suzuki had to “be better”.
The Ontarian only had one assist in three games. An admittedly thin sample, but it was also an identical record to that of his Capitals counterpart, Alexander Ovechkin, and he too did not escape questions about his performance on Friday.
“Sometimes you ask difficult questions,” St-Louis recalled Saturday. I don’t want to lie. I had conversations with him, he was the first to say that he needs to play better. »
Suzuki had just spoken to exactly that effect in the locker room. “I was pretty bad in the previous two games,” he admitted. I knew I had to be a better player for the team to be successful. […] Against Chicago, I was going in circles without it leading to anything, and it continued against Minnesota. »
Were his failures overanalyzed during the break? “Everyone analyzes everything, and I do it myself. I knew I had to be better,” he insisted.
What he accomplished. He concluded the match with two assists, not exactly a coincidence at the end of an evening where the number 14 continually fed the 22. Caufield also finished the match with 12 shot attempts, including five on target. The puck was going to him.
“He’s our leader, I’m not worried about Nick,” assured the other hero of this match, goalkeeper Jake Allen. He’s the last guy in this locker room I’m worried about. Everyone will have a few games where they feel less like themselves, where they score less. He showed his calm this evening. »
The idea will now be to find a certain consistency, an objective formulated by St-Louis. One thing is certain, the schedule will not be easy, the Canadian starting a series of five games in eight days. “Our next practice is only Friday,” the coach reminded.
This pace, however, comes with the advantage of not leaving gaps to fill. This is true for those who cover them as well as for those who analyze themselves a little too much.
He scored on the power play, did some work shorthanded and was dominant on faceoffs. Two well-deserved points for him.
He experienced a first presence of thunder, making Darcy Kuemper’s post resonate. But the numerous penalties on both sides eliminated it from the match script.
It had happened before, but it had been a while. The name of Jake Allen resonated in the stands of the Bell Center on Saturday evening, a well-deserved salute to the Habs goaltender who received the first star after a 30-save performance. He reserved his two best actions for Anthony Mantha, on a two-on-one in the first period, and for Nicklas Bäckström, who arrived in the second wave at the end of the second period. On this last sequence, Allen finished both pads in the air, just like back when there were just 21 clubs. “The three-goalie situation is difficult, but Jake is a pro,” said Martin St-Louis. You know what to expect from him. He deserved this first star. » Allen mainly focused on the way his teammates protected him. “After [the loss] to the Minnesota Wild, it’s impressive how the group responded,” he said. And of fans chanting his name, he noted it was “the kind of thing you remember at the end of a career.”
Much was made of the two consecutive games without Alexander Ovechkin being awarded a shot on goal, a first in his entire career. The Russian quickly made sure his drought didn’t stretch any further. From the seventh minute of the first period, on the power play, he received the puck at the face-off point to the right of the goalie, his favorite place to work. His shot wasn’t very powerful, but it hit the target. In the entire match, he had eight shot attempts, five of which were on target. However, strangely, it was through his passes that he was most threatening. In the first twenty, his overhand delivery was almost perfect for Anthony Mantha, who came up against Allen. Then, in the third, it was he who set the table for Ryan Strome’s first goal, which reduced the gap to 2-1. However, Ovechkin has still not found the back of the net after four games this season, settling for two assists. This is the second time in his career that he has had such a slow start, while in 2012-2013, he only broke the ice in his fifth outing.
From Jake Allen to Mike Matheson, behind the Habs goal. From Matheson to Brendan Gallagher, in front of the net. From Gallagher to David Savard, along the strip to his right. From Savard to Tanner Pearson, leaving the zone. From Pearson to Sean Monahan, via a long delivery into opposing territory. Monahan carries the puck, breaks away from the opposing defender, puts the puck back towards the center as a scrum forms in front of the goal. Gallagher rushes at the loose puck and scores. The first goal of the season for little number 11 was the result of a collective effort that could be described as almost perfect. “I saw Pearson rushing towards the net. Usually good things happen when there are so many people there,” analyzed Sean Monahan. “It was vintage Gallagher,” added Jake Allen. For years, this is how he has earned his salary. I’m happy for him that he scored his first goal of the season like this. The right way. »
