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Canadiens Postgame

Canadiens Farrell, Harvey-Pinard Shine In 5-2 Loss To Panthers

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1 year ago

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Montreal Canadiens

Sean Farrell got his first NHL goal with the Montreal Canadiens, but that was as good as this story got against the Florida Panthers.

The Canadiens are seemingly starting to show signs of fatigue, as the long season has weighed heavily on them with a very difficult schedule in the month of March.

Even though the Panthers played last night against the Maple Leafs, they were clearly playing for their playoff lives and were desperate for the two points.

And it showed.

From the start of the game, Florida was in full control of the flow of the game; dominating the Montreal Canadiens in shots and scoring chances from the get-go.

Samuel Montembeault kept them in the game for as long as he could, pushing back 13 high-danger scoring in the process.

However, the damn officially broke in the second period, as Matthew Takchuk potted two important goals for the Panthers; enough to take a stranglehold on the game and walk out of Montreal with the victory.

Your post-game analysis below:

Baptism By Fire

It didn’t take long for Sean Farrell to feel the warmth of the Bell Centre in his young career.

In just his second game with the Canadiens, Farrell was able to score his first career NHL goal right off the hop in the first period.

The young winger got a little bit of puck luck on the play, as Alex Lyon was caught cheating on his post as Farrell’s errant shot beat him short side.

Nonetheless, the goal seemed to give him a boost in confidence, as Farrell then proceeded to make the types of plays that made him such a standout in the NCAA.

The youngster was finding linemates Brendan Gallagher and Jake Evans with crisp passes and orchestrated a multitude of potential scoring chances.

His quick pace and speedy play earned him a promotion to the top line in the third period.

He continues to show great vision and play with pace; positive signs for his first steps in the NHL.

Draft Lottery Implications

There was no good outcome to this game; only the lesser of two evils.

If the Montreal Canadiens lost, they maintained their place in the bottom five of the NHL standings.

Meanwhile, had the Canadiens won, they’d have leapfrogged the Arizona Coyotes for 27th place, but dealt the Panthers a massive blow to their playoff hopes.

Ultimately, this loss helps the Canadiens in the bigger scheme of things, as the Panthers remain out of a playoff spot with a victory from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Canadiens maintain the fifth-best odds for the NHL Draft Lottery as we speak.

Centennial Celebration

Matthew Tkachuk was involved in a blockbuster trade this summer between the Florida Panthers and the Calgary Flames; and boy, has he lived up to the hype.

Registering three goals and an assist in tonight’s game, Tkachuk became only the fourth player in NHL history to score 100 points on two different teams.

It’s a pretty incredible feat considering he leads the Panthers in scoring by an impressive 32-points; making him the unquestioned MVP of his club.

He showed more of that value tonight.

It was Tkachuk’s two goals in the second period that gave the Panthers a stranglehold on tonight’s game, and his empty-net, hattrick goal that sealed the deal.

Signed for another seven years, the Florida Panthers have a true franchise forward in the midst of his prime.

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