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Canadiens Postgame

Canadiens Highlights: Demidov Steals The Show In Home Opener

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montreal canadiens ivan demidov

The Montreal Canadiens hosted the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night, marking the home-opener at the Bell Centre.

Before puck drop, the Canadiens held a very nice tribute to legendary netminder Ken Dryden, who passed away in September.

The Habs proceeded to introduce every player with their very own choice of music, and I have to send a gigantic thank you to Josh Anderson (Sweet Child O Mine) and Brendan Gallagher (Enter Sandman) for picking tunes that I could actually recognize. Jokes aside, I was happy to hear Cole Caufield pick a classic (Money For Nothing).

It was yet another exciting match-up, featuring a late game-tying goal, not to mention a fantastic game-winning goal in overtime to secure a 5-4 win over the Kraken.

Let’s dive into the highlights!

Seg1

There’s no metric that measures how much time and space a player creates in the offensive zone, but if there was, I’m sure Ivan Demidov would already be among the best on the team, as evidenced by his smart play to set up the opening-goal of the game.

All Alex Newhook had to do was keep his stick on the ice and drive the net, something made easier by the fact that he had enough space to build a small bungalow due to Demidov’s quick thinking and perfect pass.

Even though the Canadiens only held a one-goal lead heading into the first intermission, the team held a 4-0 advantage in high-danger scoring chances, an important result as quality scoring chances represent one of the final hurdles the team needs to clear at 5v5.

Top Line Momentum

Seattle carried the play in the second period, scoring two goals in the process, but the Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky line did a great job responding thanks to hard work on the forecheck.

Full marks to Caufield for his excellent release, but it was the pressure by Suzuki and Slafkovsky that forced the turnover. Their underlying numbers at 5v5 remain incredibly encouraging.

Have To Be Good To Be Lucky

Kirby Dach’s play hasn’t been the centre (get it?) of the attention in Montreal, a testament to the improved depth, not to mention the solid play by the rest of the lineup.

On that note, it’s fair to say that Dach has looked quite good when we consider his terrible injury luck in recent years. He was rewarded for his hard work early in the third period, as Noah Dobson’s point shot deflected off the 24-year-old centre.

Flipped The Script

Even though you could point out Montreal held a large lead in quality chances at 5v5, there’s no such thing as ‘deserve’ in sports. The Kraken boldly took a 4-3 lead at the midway point of the third period when Jared McMann did a good job spinning off Arber Xhekaj before beating Montembeault with a solid shot.

Spotlight Player

Demidov was once again in the spotlight, as the Canadiens desperately searched for a game-tying goal late in the third period. Thanks to a great pass by Patrik Laine, not to mention fantastic patience from the rookie, the Habs tied the game at 4-4 in a dramatic fashion, their calling card over the last few seasons.

I don’t want to hype Demidov too much, because, well, I’m not sure if it’s possible. As a reminder, this was just his sixth career NHL game, and yet he displayed the type of patience in a crucial moment you’d expect from a 10-year veteran.


So Nice He Did It Twice

I don’t mean to steal any credit from Caufield, who had an excellent game, as evidenced by his two goals, including his perfect shot to secure the win in overtime, but the time, space, and chaos created in the offensive zone by Hutson was a thing of beauty.

Additional Montreal Canadiens Notes And Statistics

  • It feels like Kaiden Guhle is going out of his way to impose his physical play on opponents any time they start to target Lane Hutson. I could be wrong about the Hutson factor, but I do like his aggressive approach to start the year.
  • Alex Carrier never worries about his own safety when retrieving a puck, and that makes me worry a little. He’s clearly a team-first kind of guy.
  • I know there’s an (unreasonably) elevated level of hate directed at Shane Wright, but I truly believe he’s become a good player. Not a jaw-dropping presence by any means, but I’m glad to see he’s found his rhythm in the NHL.
  • When it comes to shot control, the first and third lines had a solid outing, while the second and fourth lines struggled to a certain extent.

montreal canadiens

  • Hutson was driving the play all night, with an impressive 70 percent share of the expected goals, but I suspect his lack of production will quickly take over the narrative in Montreal now that he’s signed a new deal, even if it has not kicked in yet. The bar has been set ridiculously high, such is life.
  • Everything about the Dobson–Matheson pairing has been excellent. They’re doing great at 5v5, and I have to give full marks to Martin St-Louis, as most of us raised an eyebrow when he started using them together at training camp.
  • The game ended shortly after a perfect timeout, another feather in St-Louis’ cap.

Canadiens vs. Kraken Heatmap (5v5)

The Habs maintained a 10-4 advantage in high-danger chances at 5v5.

The Montreal Canadiens are back in action on Thursday, facing the Nashville Predators at the Bell Centre. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm ET.

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

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