Dominique Ducharme feared a temporary drop in power that would make the difference when the Canadian resumed activities on Wednesday night at TD Garden, and that is exactly what happened.
Brad Marchand netted two of his three goals late in the first period and the Boston Bruins drove to a 5-1 victory over the Montreal team.
The Canadian was on his first outing since January 1, but was downgraded by a rival in full possession of his means. The Habs finally cashed a fourth loss in a row (0-3-1).
“It is certain that to find this level of competition there and to hold it during 60 minutes against a team which plays good hockey represented a good challenge, recognized Ducharme after the meeting. I liked our start, but from the 10th minute we were pumping the oil. “
“We broke down during those 10 minutes at the end of the first period. “
Nine players returned to play in the Canadiens camp, including goaltender Jake Allen. However, the New Brunswick goaltender’s night of work lasted only 5:11 pm, as he was injured on the Bruins’ opening goal. Samuel Montembeault took over a little later.
Other players returning to the Habs camp after treating injuries or defeating COVID-19 were forwards Artturi Lehkonen, Mike Hoffman, Laurent Dauphin, Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia, as well as defenders Ben Chiarot, Jeff Petry and Chris Wideman.
“It is certain that this evening, nobody was in an ideal condition, noted Ducharme. For some, it had been longer than others that they had not skated. I will not put anyone in the dock. “
Michael Pezzetta scored the Canadian’s only goal (7-24-4). Allen allowed two goals on seven shots, while Montembeault gave up three times on 34 shots.
Curtis Lazar also hit the target in addition to amassing two assists.
Urho Vaakanainen scored a first NHL goal for the Bruins (20-11-2), who have won six of their last seven games. Patrice Bergeron had two assists and Linus Ullmark turned away 24 shots.
The Bruins lost to defenseman John Moore midway through the second period with an upper-body injury.
The Canadian will play again on Thursday when he visits the Chicago Blackhawks. Ducharme said Allen shouldn’t be expected to be in goal for the game, adding that he would know more about the keeper’s state of health in the coming days.
We know the song
The Canadian played energetically early in the game, but the tide quickly turned in the Bruins’ favor at mid-period.
Marchand finally got the ball rolling with 5:17 left on the first twenty. He was forgotten at the mouth of the net and deflected a Tomas Nosek handover into the opening. On the streak, Allen appeared to injure his left leg or groin.
Allen stayed in the game and was beaten by Marchand a second time just 15 seconds later. This time, the plague of the Bruins took advantage of a favorable leap from the band to surprise the Habs goalkeeper.
Montembeault finally came over to Allen during a commercial break. The Bruins greeted him by continuing their assault on the Habs net and Lazar was credited with his third goal with 50 seconds left in the throw-off. A shot from Jake DeBrusk deflected on his skate before landing in the goal.
Things continued to tumble for the Habs in the second period. Marchand completed his shorthanded hat trick at 7:10, enjoying a comeback despite being surrounded by three rivals.
The Canadian finally began to spend a little more time in the opponent’s zone afterwards. Pezzetta hit the mark at 10:46 with a precise shot as he spun around in front of the net.
Pezzetta continued to fire flames moments later. He applied a severe check to defenseman Matt Grzelcyk and Bergeron was punished for attempting to attack the Canadiens forward.
Coach Dominique Ducharme rewarded Pezzetta by using him on the power play in place of Armia, benched from an effortless retreat on the Bruins’ fourth goal.
Dauphin came a few inches to close the gap to two goals in a shorthand, but he hit the post.
The third period was just a formality, except for a few scuffles.
Wideman could get a call from the NHL Player Safety Department. He headed Erik Haula in a scrum.
Cloakroom echoes
Jeff Petry noted the Canadiens were rusty after his 11-day break and with several players returning after long absences.
“Some hadn’t played since before Christmas. It’s difficult to come back and be at a good level of competition. It hurt us. We were able to close the game, but the supporting player was a little late. On the Bruins’ side, the team is working hard. We were a fraction of a second behind and several goals reflect this situation. “
Jeff Petry pointed out that Brad Marchand was a difficult player to face.
“It’s hard to counter. He’s strong on his legs around the net and it’s hard to take the puck off him. In addition, he has the skills to succeed in games. “
Michael Pezzetta stood out for his energy and has now scored his two career NHL goals in Boston.
“I like playing against this team. It’s a good challenge. It’s a coincidence (to have scored both goals in Boston) and these are tough games. The game is robust and I like it. On the other hand, we did not obtain the expected result. “