Don’t be fooled by the snow banks that are finally melting: spring has well and truly arrived, and while there is still plenty of good hockey to come in the next two months, the Canadian’s season is coming to an end.
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For the third year in a row, it’s a low-stakes end to the season for the Habs, which doesn’t mean it’s useless. The last two matches, in particular, were a reminder of one of the projects that await the CH coaching staff during the off-season: management of the second period.
It was the team’s worst period this season and the duel against the Maple Leafs on Saturday was a reminder of that in the most brutal way possible. Final score: 4-2 Toronto. All six goals of the match were scored in the second period. Without even taking out the calculator, we understand that Montreal conceded four during the cursed third period.
“We were talking about it before the start of the second and it seems like we always come back with the same result,” lamented a slightly annoyed Nick Suzuki after the match.
The Maple Leafs swept this too-short three-game series against the Canadian this season. They scored a 6-5 shootout win to open the season; they followed it up with another narrow victory, 3-2, the day after the trade deadline, four weeks ago.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Auston Matthews scored a goal in the victory.
Martin St-Louis saw another close defeat. “Yes, they win. But I don’t feel like they’re beating us. They find ways to win,” the head coach responded.
It is true that certain attenuating circumstances may explain this result. The Montrealers were without Kaiden Guhle, defenseman no 2 of the club, as well as Arber Xhekaj, who had offered stability alongside David Savard for two months. To replace them, we called on reservist Johnathan Kovacevic, as well as Justin Barron, recalled from Laval, who sometimes had a tough time.
Except that these mitigating circumstances do not change the fact that the Leafs, despite the upheaval of the CH, were hardly threatened after their four goals. The Natural Stat Trick data matches what was observed: Toronto’s five-on-five dominance in scoring chances in the middle period (7-2) and tied play in the third (2-2). They did indeed beat the Canadian.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Nick Suzuki’s shot is saved by goalkeeper Ilya Samsonov.
CH conceded four goals without reply for a second game in a row. Thursday, against Tampa, it was also in the second period. The day’s damage brings Montreal’s differential to -26 in this period (70 goals scored, 96 goals allowed). All this from a team that did well in the first round (63-62), as was the case on Saturday.
“We have problems managing the puck at the end of the shift,” agrees St-Louis. We can simplify our game a little. That’s two games in a row that this has happened. They’re good teams, and when you make that kind of mistake, they take advantage. »
It brews
It was also in the second period that the time machine took us back to somewhere in 1987, when the thugs were having a blast.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Jayden Struble and John Tavares brawl along the ramp.
In the middle of Toronto’s four-goal storm, Ryan Reaves decided to settle the case of Michael Pezzetta. The latter had, in his previous presence, hit David Kampf behind the play, a check which seemed to come late.
“Honestly, I didn’t see the check because I was switching, otherwise I probably would have acted immediately. But the guys on the bench were pretty angry, so I understood,” Reaves commented.
PHOTO ERIC BOLTE, USA TODAY SPORTS
Ryan Reaves and Michael Pezzetta threw down the gloves.
Reaves had the upper hand in the boxing match and added another layer by insulting the CH players on the bench and continuing to insult Pezzetta in the cell. Twenty-nine seconds later, Bobby McMann made it 4-0 Toronto.
“You see the reaction on the bench, the energy he brings when he gets up for guys like that. It changes the momentum,” noted Auston Matthews, himself excited on the bench at the end of the fight.
Except that the Leafs already had the wind at their backs, and the Canadian still held a 2-1 advantage after the fight. The alleged catalytic effect of these fights deserves to be studied one of these four.
At first glance, one would be tempted to say that Reaves came closer to helping his team in the third period, when he flouted Jayden Struble to get into the offensive zone and get a good shot on Cayden Primeau.
Reaves is part of the narrative of this Montreal-Toronto duel, but if the Leafs wish to go a long way, their success will come more through the help of their dynamic duo of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, through assured play of their defensive brigade reworked last month and by adequate performances in front of the net. Much more than the contribution of a veteran who plays barely eight minutes per game.
On the rise: Tanner Pearson
PHOTO GRAHAM HUGHES, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Tanner Pearson attempts a breakthrough at the net.
Back in the lineup after six games in the stands, he delivered a valiant effort and was as visible offensively as at the start of the season.
Down: Jayden Struble
Several poorly calculated risks in the offensive and neutral zones, which caused problems for his team in defensive territory. Not his best match, even if the physical involvement was there, as always.
The number of the match: 14
With an assist on Nick Suzuki’s goal, Juraj Slafkovsky now has 14 points in his last 13 games.
In details
“Sam didn’t have it.”
Samuel Montembeault probably didn’t have the night he was hoping for in a Saturday rivalry match. After receiving only four shots in the first period, the netminder allowed two goals in 20 seconds at the start of the second period. The first was the result of a perfect deviation from Max Domi. The second came when a pass from Matthews hit Savard’s skate before crossing the goal line. It was the following two goals, also scored in less than a minute in the second period, which cost him the rest of the match: Matthew Knies scored on a generous return, then Bobby McMann accepted a perfect pass from Marner to make it 4 -0. This is where Montembeault’s evening of work ended and he gave way to Primeau. “I think Sam didn’t have it,” St-Louis said simply after the match. David Savard was more talkative: “It’s a team game. We’ve made mistakes, and he usually saves us. Tonight it didn’t work. We had a bad jump on the second goal. It’s boring, I know he feels guilty, he wants to perform. But it’s a team sport and everyone bears responsibility. » It was the second time this season that Montembeault was withdrawn before the end of the game.
And 100, again
Fans present at the Bell Center on Saturday evening will be able to say that they witnessed Auston Matthews’ 64th goal and 100th point of the season. He thus joined the club of 65 players to have achieved more than one 100-point career season, and something tells us that this is not his last… Saturday morning, after his team’s optional training, Martin St-Louis did not hesitate to praise all the talents of the star attacker. “He is very alert, but he also has tiring hockey. He plays well defensively. His defensive game helps him a lot in recovering pucks and bringing his team into possession. When his team is in possession, he has a lot of touches. His touches are excellent and his skating is excellent. » St-Louis also praised the anticipation skills of number 34, who is the third attacker in the league in terms of blocked shots – he has 87 in 75 games this season. “Good offensive players use their intelligence, they are able to read the game on the other side too, they anticipate well. When you anticipate well, you’re closer to the shots, you know it’s coming, so it’s easier to have your feet in front of the puck. »
The stars distributed
With Mitch Marner returning to the lineup after a 12-game absence, the Maple Leafs were able to show some ingenuity in their lines. Offensive stars Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Marner were separated and each played on a different line. Saturday morning, Martin St-Louis explained that such a way of doing things forced his team to work “more collectively” defensively. Despite everything, the Leafs’ first three lines all blacked the scoresheet on Saturday night. Matthews finished the night with a goal, while Marner and Nylander each had an assist. After the game, Marner said this gave “a lot of depth to the team” and that, necessarily, “it makes them really difficult to play against.” “We have three lines that can put the puck in the net, that play well and in the same way,” noted Ryan Reaves. We have a little bit of everything in our lineup. »