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Canadiens Analysis

Montembeault Holds Fort, Laine Benched, Canadiens Fall Short

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11 months ago

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The Montreal Canadiens were in Washington on Wednesday night, looking to even-up the series versus the Capitals before returning to the Bell Centre.

Prior to puck drop, Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis made one change that saw Joel Armia promoted to the ‘second line’ (or whatever you want to call it), while rookie Ivan Demidov was relegated to the fourth line, alongside Jake Evans and Emil Heineman.

It may not be a popular decision, but things are moving very quickly out there, and it’s difficult to learn on the fly, even more so in the playoffs, where open ice is at a premium.

The Capitals ended up emerging with a 3-1 win, though the scoreline was fairly flattering, as they scored an empty-net goal while the Canadiens applied immense pressure in the dying minutes of the third period.

It may not provide much solace to fans, but we have to admit very few of us would have expected the Canadiens to be involved in hard-fought games, in the playoffs, versus the best team in the Eastern Conference.

Let’s dive into the highlights!

Low-Even First

It’s hard to get upset when Alex Newhook doesn’t necessarily live up to the billing of a No.2 centre.

Yes, he flubs a lot of chances, but let’s be perfectly honest, he’s playing above his station. He’s paid like a No.3, and he produces like a No.3, it’s as simple as that.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the missed chances aren’t painful to watch, especially when they could have led to an early goal.

In this case, it probably looks worse than it really was, because connecting on quick passes is not the easiest proposal in hockey, but the Habs can’t afford to keep wasting their rare chances.


Physical Battle

If we’re being honest, the lack of physicality, or rather, the perceived lack of physicality from the Canadiens was mostly an issue in the first period of Game One.

That doesn’t mean Arber Xhekaj doesn’t have a role to play in this lineup, but I strongly believe the issue has been overblown.

On that note, Josh Anderson is doing a fairly good job leading the charge in that regard.

Capital Response

The Canadiens’ top line played quite well against Pierre-Luc Dubois and Co. on Monday night, but it was the Capitals’ shutdown line that struck first on Wednesday, thanks to Connor McMichael’s first goal of the playoffs.

It was a very difficult shift for Jayden Struble and David Savard, and when we isolate it, it’s clear one of the two is having a hard time keeping up with the pace of the game, but overall, they’re not currently sinking the Habs. At least not single-handedly. The problem is they’re also being sheltered, which means all the pressure is on the top two pairings.

The Habs could make life easier on themselves by re-uniting Struble and Arber Xhekaj, as the numbers clearly prove they’re a much better pairing, but Savard is one of the few veterans in the lineup, and it’s doubtful he’ll skip his turn, even if he has already announced his retirement once the playoffs are over.

It also must be said that the first line was caught on the ice for an extended shift, leaving them exhausted by the time the Capitals scored.

For the most part, the Habs did a better job defending the rush than they had in most regular-season games, but the Capitals really started to pour it on early in the second period, culminating with Dylan Strome’s first of the playoffs.

If not for Samuel Montembeault’s excellent play, the Montreal Canadiens would have been facing more than a one-goal deficit in the third period. He held the fort when the Habs needed it most, much like he did throughout most of the regular season.

Roster Issues

The second line didn’t magically improve just because Armia replaced Demidov. They struggled all night long. The fact of the matter is the second line has been a disaster all year.

And that includes before Patrik Laine joined the team.

It struggled with Kirby Dach.

It struggles with Newhook.

It struggles with anyone else who ended up as the spare parts used by St-Louis to plug the gaping holes in the lineup.

But again, I have a hard time criticizing the coach or the players in this case. It’s a roster construction issue, and even then, I’m not throwing any daggers towards management.

The Canadiens simply don’t have the personnel in place to match-up with top teams in the NHL, at least not yet.

And we knew that coming into the series.

Modifications

St-Louis addressed the second-line issue in the third period, by benching Laine, and cobbling together a line featuring Demidov, Newhook, and Evans. Mid-game adjustments are definitely not St-Louis’ strong point, but I do like that he attempted to rectify the issue without waiting for the final whistle of the game.

The change seemed to give the Canadiens legs, as they did take over the momentum mid-way through the third period.

Unfortunately, the best chance lacked accuracy, as Evans failed to capitalize on a prime scoring chance.

Game 3 of the Montreal Canadiens vs. Washington Capitals first-round series will take place on Friday, at the Bell Centre. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm ET.

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

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