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Post Game Poutine: Hurricanes Too Strong For Montreal Canadiens

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2 years ago

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Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens were simply outmatched in their 4-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes showed why they aren’t to be taken lightly this spring, as they continue to roll as one of the team teams in the NHL.

The Carolina Hurricanes dictated the pace of the game from start to finish. They attacked the play and possessed the puck for a grand majority of the game, and this right from the drop of the puck. The Montreal Canadiens tried their best to try and start counter-attacks as best they could, but the aggressive neutral-zone play of the Hurricanes kept the Habs hemmed in their zone for the majority of the game.

Jake Allen played incredibly well despite the score, blocking more than 40 shots for the fifth straight game, a sign that the Montreal Canadiens defence continues to sorely miss the presence of Ben Chiarot and Brett Kulak since being traded. Allen made a high quantity of saves and kept the Montreal Canadiens in the game as best he could, as the game could have easily been a route by the end of the second period.

The Canadiens fought valiantly in the third period, limiting the Hurricanes to the outside, while forcing them to take multiple penalties, but ultimately couldn’t capitalize en route to a 4-0 loss to one of the NHL’s top teams.

Here’s your MHN Postgame Poutine:

GOLD STAR: Frederik Andersen – Andersen wasn’t an overly busy goaltender all game, but was present for the big saves when he needed to be. The Canadiens had their chances to get back in the game, as they had multiple odd-man rushes and even a few partial breakaways; but it was Andersen who shut the door and kept them at bay. Especially in the third period, when Montreal was pressing, Andersen stood tall and helped kill off three consecutive Canadiens powerplays en route to the shutout victory.

TABARNAK: Jake Allen’s delay of game: Jake Allen took off his helmet during a Hurricanes powerplay midway through the second. The referees deemed the removal of Allen’s helmet unnecessary, as the straps didn’t spring off, and called him for a delay of game penalty, giving the Hurricanes a 49-second 5-on-3.

TURNING POINT: Aho’s early goal sets the pace: It’s hard to choose a turning point when the Hurricanes had a stranglehold on the game from the moment the puck was dropped, but alas, such is tradition. The Carolina Hurricanes struck early, as Sebastian Aho redirected a shot-pass from Teuvo Teravainen to give the Hurricanes the lead with less than four gone in the first period. The Hurricanes taking the lead so early in the first period set the tone for the rest of the game, as they dominated possession and played an aggressive defensive game.

HONORABLE MENTION: Jake Allen-  Jake Allen faced an onslaught of shots and scoring chances against all night. He was even called for a delay of game penalty for taking his helmet off after his helmet straps came off, but he didn’t let his emotions get the best of him. He stopped over 40 shots for the fifth straight game and was the most consistent player on the ice.

 

BY THE NUMBERS: Here’s how the Montreal Canadiens lined up Thursday night:

Forwards

Cole Caufield-Nick Suzuki–Joel Armia

Rem Pitlick-Christian Dvorak-Josh Anderson

Paul Byron-Jake Evans-Mike Hoffman

Tyler Pitlick-Laurent Dauphin-Jesse Ylönen

Defence:

Alexander Romanov-David Savard

Joel Edmundson-Justin Barron

Corey Schueneman-Chris Wideman

Goalies:

Jake Allen

Sam Montembeault

 

QUOTE TO NOTE: “I just tried to get myself going. Just wanted to get ourselves engaged physically and get the team going” – said Suzuki on the edge he was playing with tonight.

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