CHICAGO | The Canadiens players were looking forward to this few days off. And they did everything to go on vacation with peace of mind.
• Read also: The Canadian players had light hearts and dancing feet: “It will give us momentum for after Christmas. »
• Read also: A victory before the Christmas break
This 5-2 victory, acquired Friday evening at the United Center, allowed the Habs to conclude this first portion of the match away from the Bell Center with a harvest of five points out of a possible six.
Getty Images via AFP
Nick Suzuki and his teammates will also be encouraged when they take a hit on the Eastern Conference standings. Casually, Martin St-Louis and his men returned home just three points from the last place giving access to the playoffs. A much better situation than last year (nine points).
This break comes at just the right time, because Montrealers spent quite a bit of all their energy during these three meetings. Two of them required an extension period. In each of the last two, the Canadian overcame a 2-0 deficit.
Even I, who haven’t played a single second, am burned out. And to think I have a few holiday parties waiting for me when I get home. Evenings that will not be easy to play against, as the other would say.
Slafkovsky sacrifices himself
But back to our cherubs.
To score their goals, Montreal had to stick their noses into traffic, work to recover loose pucks and force turnovers by applying pressure on the forecheck.
Moreover, for a second time in as many evenings, Juraj Slafkovsky scored a goal with his skates a few centimeters from the portion of ice painted blue. Like the day before, he collected two points.
“Someone has to go,” Slafkovsky laughed. Seriously, I love it going there. Currently, I score goals near the net. Maybe we should start like that and then I can score further and further. »
A little earlier in the match, Mitchell Stephens scored his first goal in the Canadian uniform by deflecting a shot from Mike Matheson installed practically in the same place.
Anderson, the snoreau
Suzuki’s goal, his tenth of the season, was also the result of individual efforts. Those of Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield (whom the Canadian lost for a few minutes in the second period).
“This is the perfect example of failing before you teach. The guys did a lot of work and we managed to finish the game,” described the Canadian coach.
And there is Josh Anderson who moved the strings for the fourth time in as many matches. In my opinion, the snoreau has already developed the gift we gave him for Christmas, on page 84 of the Journal de Montréal on Saturday morning. We should have hidden it better.
The Canadian now has five days to recharge his batteries before facing the Hurricanes in Carolina on December 28.
On that note, for the next three matches, I leave you in the care of the esteemed colleague and friend, Jean-François Chaumont, the man who takes pleasure in spending the year in a city other than Montreal.
Happy Holidays!