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Postgame Poutine: Montembeault Can’t Save Canadiens in 4-3 OT Loss

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2 years ago

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Montreal Canadiens goalie Montembeault

Another brilliant performance from Montreal Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault (49 saves) wasn’t enough for the Habs to earn a second-straight win for the first time this season as they fell 4-3 in overtime to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore scored 1:50 into the extra frame to give his team the win and finish with a goal and two assists. Jonathan Marchessault (goal, assist) tied the game for the Knights with a powerplay goal 11:39 into the third period; William Karlsson had a goal and an assist, and Chandler Stephenson lit the lamp for the Knights.

Michael Pezzetta, Tyler Toffoli, and Mike Hoffman all scored for the Montreal Canadiens in the loss as the Habs earned their third point in two games but fell to 8-25-6 on the season.

The Canadiens flew to Denver after the game for a tilt with the Avalanche on Saturday and will finish their seven-game road trip in Minnesota on Monday.

GOLD STAR: Sam Montembeault – Montembeault has now stopped 95 of 102 shots in two games. The Montreal Canadiens are playing better in those two games but the bottom line is, they’re just not good enough – with their current roster – to compete with the better than average teams in the NHL. They had no business being in this game but Montembeault gave them a chance once again. The Habs continued to feed off his brilliance between the pipes and were able to muster another point.

TABARNAK: Shots On Goal – The Montreal Canadiens have now been out-shot 102-49 in their last While it’s great that Montembeault has been a brick wall for the Montreal Canadiens, they can’t expect to earn points as they have in the last two games if they’re going to just commit to a bend don’t break gameplan. As the Habs have gotten healthier and seen some of their better players like Toffoli and Josh Anderson return to the lineup, they’ve shown they can generate goals and points. That being said, they need to prevent them as well. Per friend of MHN, Marc-Antoine Godin, this is the first time in the history of this storied franchise that they have given up 50 shots or more in two-straight games.

 

 

TURNING POINT: Marchessault Powerplay Goal – The Montreal Canadiens seemingly had the momentum leading 3-2 midway through the third period on the heavily-favored Golden Knights. While the Knights had scored on the Karlsson powerplay goal earlier in the game, it was not a goal they didn’t have to work for. The Marchessault goal, however, looked way too easy and from that point on, the Habs looked like a deflated team simply trying to hang on.

 

 

HONORABLE MENTION: Shea Theodore – One could easily say Theodore or even Marchessault should be the Gold Star, but Montembeault was amazing. That being said, if new Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes doesn’t know already, Theodore is exactly the kind of defenseman the Habs need and have needed for a long time. His two-way game is so strong and the tenacity he displayed to create his overtime winner was phenomenal. The Knights are surely going to move out some cap space over the next month to allow newly acquired Jack Eichel to enter the lineup within the next month Not sure how Hughes could do it, but if he could pull off some cap magic to accommodate Theodore’s $5.2 million cap hit (for three more seasons), he needs to do it!

 

BY THE NUMBERS: 4 – As in four straight games that the Montreal Canadiens have scored a power-play goal for the first time since the first four games of last season.

QUOTE TO NOTE: “That’s What Shea Does” – Marchesseault on Theodore’s persistent effort that led to his overtime winner.

 

 

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