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Canadiens Instant Recap: Dach And Hutson Shine In Big Win

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The Montreal Canadiens hosted the St. Louis Blues at the Bell Centre on Saturday night, and they were looking to create a little momentum after a lacklustre effort against the New York Rangers earlier in the week.



Martin St-Louis made some changes to both the defensive pairings and the forward lines prior to puck drop.

Arber Xhekaj was re-inserted into the lineup, playing on the third pairing with Jayden Struble. It was a decision that was inevitable since Justin Barron and Kaiden Guhle are both injured. Kirby Dach was once again used on the top line, while Jake Evans anchored a trio with Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher. Oliver Kapanen was returned to the wing, playing with Alex Newhook and Joel Armia.

The Habs put together a great effort to bounce back from their previous outing, emerging with a well-deserved 5-2 win.

If you’re looking to talk Habs, hockey, and everything in between once you are done reading this recap, I invite you to join us for Game Over: Montreal, a wrap-up show that goes live after every Canadiens game. Here’s the link to join a great community of Habs fans for a fun post-game chat.

There’s a lot to discuss, so let’s dive into those highlights!

Yeoman’s Effort

The Canadiens’ slow start to the season is far from the only time they have lacked passion during a prolonged stretch of games. It happens to every team, but the best teams quickly find their way out of slumps thanks to a few players taking the lead. On Tuesday, it was Nick Suzuki who attempted to drag his team back into the game.

On Saturday, it was Jake Evans who set the tone, scoring his first goal of the year via a great shot that gave Jordan Binnington no chance to make a save. Evans’ reaction following the goal says it all.

Dach Is Back

Dach followed Evans’ lead a little over a minute into the second period, scoring his first goal of the year via assists from Nick Suzuki and Mike Matheson. I don’t love the idea of having both Dach and Suzuki on the same line, as it monopolizes much of the centre talent in the lineup, but you’d be hard-pressed to argue a change wasn’t needed, as both the first and second lines were struggling to produce any semblance of sustained pressure since the start of the year.

Once Juraj Slafkovsky is ready to return to play, Dach will undoubtedly return to the second line. At that point, I would love to see what he could do with Cole Caufield on his wing, as I get the sense they’d have some instant chemistry, owing to Caufield’s shooting ability and Dach’s penchant for creating time and space for his linemates.

Down  To Earth

The 2-0 lead lasted roughly 22 seconds before Colton Parayko out muscled the Canadiens defence to score the Blues’ first goal of the game. Just a few minutes later, Jake Neighbours scored his second goal of the year, eliminating the Habs’ lead in the process. We could be highly critical of Logan Mailloux’s mistakes on this place, but it would be intellectually dishonest to focus on a rookie when veterans are also making blatant mistakes every game.

This was to be expected given Mailloux’s lack of NHL games. The same can be said about Lane Hutson’s play. The coverage from out-of-town outlets is ridiculous seeing as Hutson is the player in the lineup with the least professional hockey experience. Expecting him to be a dominant force every night is unreasonable, and overanalyzing every mistake is as useless as tits on a bull.

Speaking of Hutson, there’s no doubt he brings an important element to the table with his creativity and ability to open up ice for his teammates, but it must be said the team does a very poor job exploiting the opportunities that open up whenever he has the puck. Remaining static is the opposite of what forwards need to do when No.48 is setting up a play.

Mike And Kirby’s Apples

Full marks to both Dach and Mike Matheson on the team’s third goal of the game, a powerplay marker scored by Alex Newhook that gave the Canadiens a 3-2 lead. I know Matheson gets a lot of flack for his powerplay usage, but his quick, accurate pass to Dach, who responded in kind, was perfect, and exactly what the team needs more of whenever they’re given a man advantage.

Hutson Momentum

I can’t believe I’m about to write these words, but, it must be said the Canadiens have received important contributions from their special teams this year, which is a great change of pace for all concerned, including the fans.

Hutson’s work on the penalty kill was excellent, as was Josh Anderson’s. It’s too early to suggest Anderson is playing extremely well, but he is trying hard every shift, and that’s the first step to getting back on track.


Speaking of Hutson, the quick-thinking defenceman was excellent on Saturday, as his play in the defensive zone helped the team prevent goals, while creating chances for his teammates.

His active stick to stop the Blues rush was matched by his quick pass to Suzuki. Of course, we have to give some credit to both Suzuki and Cole Caufield on the play, but it’s fun to see the rookie turn defensive situations into offensive opportunities.  The goal was Caufield’s seventh goal of the year.


The Montreal Canadiens are back in action on Sunday. They will face the Flyers in Philadelphia, with the puck drop scheduled for 7:00 pm ET. All Montreal Canadiens stats are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.

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