(Montreal) One scored with a wrist shot and played on the power play. The other hit a crucial check that led to the insurance goal. He didn’t get a point on the game, but would have earned one unofficially.
Updated at 0:07
We’re talking about Arber Xhekaj and Cole Caufield here, but not in the order you might expect. In this 5-2 victory for the Canadiens over the Vancouver Canucks, it was Xhekaj who scored and it was Caufield who hit the check that led to Kirby Dach’s second goal.
There’s one who really enjoyed it, and that’s Brendan Gallagher. A regular at this type of disadvantageous confrontation. Because for those who don’t know, Caufield is 5 ft 7 and 174 lbs, and he managed to squeeze a player – a little soft, you might say – of 6 ft 8 and 229 lbs.
“It’s good to see that. I think Cole will mostly keep scoring goals and you won’t see a game like this often. But every time he uses his small frame, it’s entertaining. »
Gallagher was obviously proud to talk about Caufield’s “small frame”. He added to this when a colleague asked him if he had shown Caufield how to hold his own against very tall opponents. Answer: “I don’t know what it’s like to be so small. »
Dach also laughed a little at the sequence. “It’s not the size of the guy, it’s the size of his heart,” said the author of a double.
More seriously, he was especially delighted with the way the trio he formed with Caufield and Nick Suzuki scored his two goals. The other goal was the result of work by Dach, who charged at JT Miller to lose the puck. Two goals, therefore, scored thanks to sustained work on the forecheck. Not the kind of goal that three players with such skills are used to scoring.
“We talked about it: we wanted to dominate the game at the bottom of the zone, under the face-off circle, and play 200 feet. We know we have the talent to score goals in recovery, but it’s good to score workers’ goals, “summarized the great number 77.
Gallagher, he generally played the way we know well, with all the abnegation of which only he is capable. He hobbled back to the bench in the first half after blocking a shot, to the cheers of the crowd. Offensively, he rushed to the net and bickered with the opposing goalkeeper once where he just went too dark for Thatcher Demko’s taste.
“Every time he steps off the rink, he has a new scar. It shows the kind of character he has. We wouldn’t be the team we are without him, ”said Dach.
But in another era, Gallagher was also able to help his team by filling the net with 30 goals per season. We talked about it earlier this week, he does it less this season. He is 2 goals in 14 games, but the gains that the Habs have just stuck in 24 hours bear his signature. Wednesday, for the above reasons. Tuesday, in Detroit, preparing for Mike Hoffman’s two goals, doing something else he’s done less of this season: shooting on goal.
Martin St-Louis knew Gallagher as a rival on the ice,
“You knew he was going to bother, that he would be in the blue paint. If there’s a scrum, you knew it was probably Gally! “, launched St-Louis.
“Maybe he used to score more, but if you study his game, I think he’s becoming a better player. Not necessarily by his goals, but he’s no longer just good at being first on the forecheck, good in front of the net. He still does that, but he becomes a better player. »
In this season where the Canadian does not always have the appropriate personnel for all the missions, it is certainly the kind of development that St-Louis will want to see in several players.
They said
Every night there is a story. Sometimes it’s the goalkeeper, sometimes it’s your best players, sometimes it’s the young defenders. What I like is that when you have success, it’s never the same story.
Martin St Louis
The most important thing he does is he takes care of the team, whether it’s a blocked shot, a big play… He takes the pressure off us and allows us to play on our own terms . He plays well game.
Martin St-Louis on David Savard
Both teams played last night. It could have been a game with two tired teams, but we got off to a great start.
Arber Xhekaj
It’s hard to put yourself in your shoes, because it’s a hard role to understand. You must stay ready. We see his growth and we have confidence in front of our two goalkeepers.
Brendan Gallagher, about Samuel Montembeault
They too were playing a second game in two nights. There’s no excuse for the way we started. […] We pushed into third, but we dig ourselves such a deep hole, it’s hard to get out of it.
Bo Horvat
We still haven’t played a good 60 minutes this season. You have to find a sense of urgency.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
This is not good, we will address the situation. It shouldn’t happen to anyone, especially not a guy who’s won two Stanley Cups and knows exactly what to do.
Bruce Boudreau on Tanner Pearson, who took two penalties early in the game
Rising
Evgenii Dadonov
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Evgenii Dadonov (center)
The bar wasn’t high, you might say, but it was definitely his best of 10 games this season. He caused a penalty and was finally visible offensively.
Falling
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Joel Armia
Joel Armia
No one deserves to be here with the Canadian, but Armia is the one we’ve seen the least, despite having used it for almost 15 minutes. He has no points after six games.
The number of the match
9
With two goals, Kirby Dach now has nine points (three goals, six assists) in his last five games.