Connect with us

Canadiens Postgame

Habs Highlights: Canadiens Drop First Ever Game Versus Utah

Published

4 months ago

on

montreal canadiens uta

The Montreal Canadiens hosted the Utah Hockey Club at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night, a battle between two teams that are struggling to leave the NHL’s basement.

It was the first ever meeting between the two teams, and it required overtime to decide a victor. Utah emerged with a 3-2 overtime win that was probably well-deserved. If anything, the scoreline was a little unflattering toward the new franchise.

Let’s dive into those highlights!

Life Finds A Way

Shortly before puck drop, the Habs announced veteran Mike Matheson would be forced to miss the game with a lower-body injury. This meant Jayden Struble was no longer slated to watch the game from the press box as a healthy scratch. Instead, the 23-year-old defenceman lined up with Justin Barron on the third pairing.


And since hockey is a cruel but entertaining mistress, it was always going to be Struble who opened the scoring for the Canadiens. After what can only be described as a lacklustre start to the game for Martin St-Louis’ troops, Struble scored his second goal in as many games when his wrist shot from the blue line found the back of the net.

Frustration Mounting

The first two periods featured a collection of questionable calls against both teams, which eventually raised the ire of a few Canadiens players, including David Savard.

He initiated a rather animated conversation with the referees at the end of the second period, which led to a 10-minute misconduct. We’ll never know exactly what he said, but suffice it to say he probably did not use his Victorian vocabulary to convey the message.

The situation may have been frustrating, but no one can blame the referees for the fact the Habs only managed to generate eight shots in 40 minutes, which included two power plays.


New Look Newhook?

Alex Newhook possesses blazing speed, and can beat most players in a race to most areas on the ice, but we’ve only seen him use his fantastic skating to generate scoring chances perhaps three or four times this season. Spending much of his time defending means that Newhook is rarely able to use his best offensive weapon.

If he’s to stay with the team throughout the rebuild and into the seasons that are expected to be a little more successful, he’ll have to prove he can make a positive impact every game.

That doesn’t always mean a breakaway or an odd-man rush, though that is Newhook’s preferred approach. On Tuesday we saw him use his speed to beat a defender to the net and take advantage of a loose puck near the crease. Sure, it’s not as exciting as a breakaway goal, but in the end they’re all worth the same.

Utah tied the game a few minutes later, with Logan Cooley earning a fantastic assist to set up Jack McBain. I don’t mean to rub any salt in the wounds of fans that are unhappy with Juraj Slafkovsky’s development, but seeing as Cooley is on pace for 65+ points, it’s important to remember that not all players develop at the same pace, and sometimes you can hurt a prospect by forcing him into the NHL a little too early.

MUST READ: Kirby Dach and Juraj Slafkovsky Demoted To The Fourth Line

That’s not to say Slafkovsky will never crack 65 points, because development isn’t always linear. For the record, the fourth line, which featured Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach, was outplayed by quite a margin against Utah.

The Montreal Canadiens will be back in action immediately, facing the Blue Jackets in Columbus on Wednesday, with the puck drop scheduled for 7:30 pm ET.

All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.

Related Topics:

MHN in your inbox

Enter your email address and get all of our articles sent directly to your inbox

Canadiens Roster & Cap Info