(Montreal) The Canadiens’ players went in two days from the ecstasy of victory to what could well be the normalcy their head coach has often spoken of.
Posted at 10:51 p.m.
Joe Pavelski scored three goals and an assist as the Dallas Stars defeated Montreal 5-2 on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.
The Habs had experienced euphoria in a 6-2 victory against the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday. Juraj Slafkovsky had scored his first goal in the NHL, Arber Xhekaj had delivered a fight that toured the hockey planet.
The Canadiens players returned to earth on Saturday.
Rookie defenders Xhekaj and Kaiden Guhle had probably their toughest outings of the season. They were guilty of poor positioning or costly turnovers during the game.
The Stars jostled the Habs with several good checks. Their forecheck also bothered local players out of bounds. In general, they executed plays better and showed more cohesion than the Canadian.
The visitors were also 2-for-3 on the power play, while the Canadiens were 0-for-4.
“The special teams made a big difference in the game, insisted the head coach of the Canadian, Martin St-Louis. It’s a team that plays fairly simple hockey, a team of veterans who are heavy, who are fast.
“You have to take the experience of experiencing that pressure. This is something we are going to have to learn. »
Despite a tough night, Xhekaj scored his first NHL goal and added an assist. Mike Hoffman also scored his first goal of the season for the Canadiens (3-3-0). Jake Allen made 25 saves.
Jason Robertson had a goal and an assist, while Esa Lindell also scored for the Stars (4-0-1), who have allowed just eight goals so far this season. Roope Hintz and Jamie Benn each had two assists and Jake Oettinger stopped 32 shots.
Slafkovsky missed the game with an upper body injury. A spokesperson for the Canadiens said the Slovak was injured in the last game and that his case will be reassessed daily.
The Habs temporarily lost the services of Brendan Gallagher to the Stars. The fiery forward appeared to injure his left leg in a fall in the second period. After two visits to the locker room, Gallagher returned to the game for good after the second intermission.
The Canadiens will wrap up their four-game home stint by hosting the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.
PHOTO DAVID KIROUAC, USA TODAY SPORTS
Wyatt Johnston (53) of the Dallas Stars and Rem Pitlick (32) of the Montreal Canadiens
A more seasoned team
The Stars had the advantage at the start of the game and they blacked the score sheet after only 4: 24 of play, during a power play. Pavelski surprised Allen with a superb backhand shot into the top corner.
The Canadian was annoyed by the pressure applied by the Stars, but he was able to adjust in the second half of engagement.
Hoffman tied the game at 1-1 with 4:25 to go, enjoying a comeback on a shot from Jake Evans.
The Stars took the lead after just 18 seconds into the second period. Hintz won his battle against Guhle along the ramp and joined Pavelski in the slot. The American sniper beat Allen with a powerful one-timer.
Robertson widened the gap at 4:31 on another Stars power play. He completed a wonderful trade with Benn.
Once again, the Canadian did not give up. Xhekaj scored at 15:58, thanks to a long shot that deceived Oettinger’s vigilance.
Xhekaj was guilty, however, of abandoning responsibility to check on the Stars’ fourth goal with 17 seconds left in the second period. Lindell took the opportunity to go about it twice to beat Allen.
Pavelski, however, returned to the charge at 6: 53 of the last third, dealing a heavy blow to the Habs’ hopes of recovery.
Locker Room Echoes
Jonathan Drouin said the Canadian lacked consistency in the game.
“They won more battles than us. They started the game better than us. We played well, then played less well. We didn’t play a consistent 60 minutes. They played a constant 60 minutes. »
Arber Xhekaj couldn’t fully savor his first NHL goal.
“It was good, but they scored quickly afterwards and that deflated me a bit. I’m the type of guy for whom team success is more important than just a goal. »
Jake Evans feared the worst for Brendan Gallagher when he saw his teammate fall after putting the skate on a loose stick.
“He’s a warrior and he doesn’t know how to play any other way. He is having a good start to the season after making the most of his summer. He’s so much faster on the ice. I was scared when he crashed, but I was happy to see he was able to come back. »