(Edmonton) Players who play in front of their loved ones abroad always capture the imagination. How many images do we have in our heads of Quebecers coming to score a big goal at the Bell Centre?
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That said, these encounters are not all joy and happiness. The professional athlete who wants to focus on his routine will need to review his plans. Kaiden Guhle on Tuesday was playing at home. He grew up in Sherwood, a suburb located about fifteen kilometers from Rogers Place.
He didn’t seem the least bit bothered by the distractions, however. The young man was one of the most deserving employees of this narrow 3-2 defeat of the Habs in overtime against the powerful Edmonton Oilers.
A goal from Leon Draisaitl, scored at the very end of a four-minute penalty to Joel Armia, allowed the Albertans to triumph. Guhle had also returned to the bench for around twenty seconds when Draisaitl took advantage of Samuel Montembeault who was starting to be worn down by the incessant volume of shots to score. It was the Oilers’ sixth shot on target, and ninth shot attempt, in three minutes of overtime.
“It’s one of our best matches of the season. There are a lot of positives, I won’t start being negative. It’s hard to lose like that because the players really left everything on the ice,” said the Canadian’s replacement head coach, Trevor Letowski.
But in this defeat, Guhle demonstrated how his progress is impressive after only 108 games in the NHL, in not easy circumstances. Tuesday morning, he told the media about the logistics behind this duel. “We might have a full bus coming from Sherwood Park!” », he laughed. And for the wallet? “That was a good hit!” »
But there are also benefits to playing at home. On Sunday and Monday, he was treated to home-cooked dinners, cooked by his mother and her partner. “Barbecue ribs on Sunday and roast beef on Monday,” he explained, having difficulty hiding his Alberta origins.
And there is also the fact that his junior career ended here, in Edmonton, with him playing for the Oil Kings. Which served him pretty well under the circumstances.
“I recently started using Bauer poles. [Juraj Slafkovsky] Had a leftover order, had one left, actually, and I broke it in Calgary. So when I got here, I went to see Rogan [le préposé à l’équipement] to ask him if he had any extra. I tested some when I played here and they were the same sticks that I had tried in the past. »
It was therefore with one of these sticks obtained from his former equipment attendant that he scored in the third period to create the tie and allow the CH to leave here with a point. “It’s funny how that ended.” I already texted him… It’s not bad thanks to him, this goal!
PHOTO PERRY NELSON, USA TODAY SPORTS VIA REUTERS CON
Nick Suzuki (14) and Leon Draisaitl (29)
“It was a good feeling. It’s always good to score in this arena, especially with all the Canadiens fans here. It looked like we were at home. It’s definitely among the favorite goals of my career. But it would have been better to have had both points. »
His goal will be seen again and again on the television bulletins, much to the chagrin of Calvin Pickard, because no goalie likes to be thwarted under the glove. Let’s hope Jake Evans highlights include his perfect pass in the neutral zone, which Guhle caught in full swing.
But above all he delivered assured play during his club’s too many numerical disadvantages. At 5v5, he spent almost all his time (12:28 according to Natural Stat Trick) against Connor McDavid. The latter made him look bad by making fun of him at the start of the match, to open the score. But Guhle was unfazed and answered the call.
“He was very good tonight,” said Letowski. It was an exciting match for him, with his history here. He responded, he competed and he scored a big goal. It’s quite an evening for a young person. »
Rising: Jake Evans
He often delivered great performances against his old friend Connor McDavid. It was the case again on Tuesday, and it started with some solid work in the faceoff circle.
Down: Colin White
He plays mainly because the Canadian does not have any other center in his squad, but does he really play if he is benched from the end of the second period?
The number of the match: 27
It wasn’t exactly his best of the season, but Nick Suzuki scored his 27th goal of the season. He thus beats his personal mark of 26, established last year.
In details
Pearson skips his turn
A surprise that could be described as modest awaited us during training. Trevor Letowski has indeed announced that Tanner Pearson, who has been looking for since his return to the game in January, was left out. It was the first time this season that he had suffered such an affront. “It’s always difficult with a respected player who’s been in the league for a long time,” Letowski admitted. But Tanner was told a while ago that we were thinking about taking him out of the lineup. It’s not like it came out of nowhere. » His exclusion from the lineup allowed Michael Pezzetta to return to the game, having been removed for 10 of the previous 12 games. Pezzetta didn’t take long to get in on the action; he dropped the gloves against the fiery Sam Carrick in his first appearance. It appears to have been a legal check by Pezzetta against Carrick that sparked the conflict, although one thought they heard something that sounded like “fish not fresh!” ? » from the top of the footbridge. But our ears may have deceived us.
Significant improvement in Newhook
Faceoffs were one of Alex Newhook’s shortcomings when he arrived in Montreal. He earned just 41.4% last season at Colorado, and he was at 38.7% when he was injured last fall. But since his return, his results have been much more convincing: exactly 50% (93 in 186), all that in 18 matches, a sample which is starting to hold up. At the end of the first period, he won one against the excellent Leon Draisaitl, a crucial faceoff because there were 10 seconds left before the intermission and it was in the Canadian’s zone, on the right side no less. , where the left-handed Newhook is at a disadvantage. “I’ve always tried to work on it. It’s an important part of hockey and when I returned to the game, I suspected that I would play center for the rest of the season,” he said Saturday morning in Calgary.
Henrique breaks the ice
Adam Henrique is the biggest name acquired by the Oilers at the trade deadline. Stuck in the Anaheim Ducks’ death row for the last six seasons, he has only played four playoff games since his phenomenal 2012 spring, when he helped the New Jersey Devils reach the Stanley Cup Final. He will therefore have to rebuild his reputation as a playoff player. In the meantime, he broke the ice. In his sixth game with the Oilers, he took advantage of a fluctuation between Joshua Roy and David Savard in his marking to slip into the blue paint and score his first goal with his new team. Until he is more productive, he offers the Oilers interesting depth at center, behind the essential Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Guillaume Lefrançois, The Press