Golden Knights 6 — Canadian 5 | It could (and should) have been worse

There are unfair defeats. For example, the one suffered in a shootout two weeks ago at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights. Then there are those that are fully deserved. Like that of Thursday evening, against the same team.

And again, the score of 6-5 is very far from reflecting the pace of the meeting. Because the Habs offered one of their worst defensive efforts of the season. Perhaps his worst.

From the start of the match, at the end of a moving ceremony marking the death of singer Karl Tremblay, the Knights invaded Montreal territory with disconcerting ease and began shelling the locals’ net.

In total, the Knights made 93 shot attempts, signing one of the most intense volleys in the entire league this season. At five on five as well as on the power play, we saw a perfectly oiled machine at work. That, in short, of a reigning Stanley Cup champion team.

At the Habs, we mainly tried to survive… and it didn’t work. Like the vulnerable club that it ultimately is.

The worst part is that, for a rare time in a long time, the puck was finally rolling for the CH at the start of the game. At one point in the first period, Vegas had a 13-4 advantage in shots on goal, but still trailed 2-0.

“We were probably lucky, because it’s not like we played to lead 2-0,” noted Nick Suzuki at the end of the evening. It could have been 4-0 for them. »

“We were even lucky that it was 4-4 after two periods,” added Johnathan Kovacevic.

According to the defender, we were perplexed in the locker room during the second intermission. At the same time, against the Flames, the day before, everyone kept the knife between their teeth, despite a one-goal deficit. “We knew we played better than them. »

However, against the Knights, with an equal score, we tried to “take the positive and change the trend”. “Unfortunately, we were unable to do it,” noted Kovacevic.

“They were stealing space from us everywhere, on the forecheck and in the neutral zone,” he continued. It was hard to progress with the puck. It was a difficult match. »

Indeed.

Honesty

Martin St-Louis, as usual, did not distribute the blame after the meeting. But he had to be “honest”, as he himself emphasized.

“We played with fire and we got burned,” he summed up. We helped them create attack. We did some great things, but too many bad ones. »

In these circumstances, “against a good team of the same […]it’s hard to win.”

Among the “beautiful things”, there is, it must be admitted, this offensive touch displayed at the exit of the blocks. Alex Newhook ended a 13-game drought. Johnathan Kovacevic got his first point of the season. Jesse Ylönen had a strong game offensively despite limited ice time. His trio, however, struggled as much as the others defensively.

St-Louis certainly formulated its clearest criticism of Brendan Gallagher, who received, for the second time in two games, a penalty at the very end of the third period. Casually, 14 of his 18 minutes spent in the cell this season were imposed on him in the last engagement. Three times he was caught at fault during the last four minutes of play.

“This can’t be happening,” his coach said succinctly. Especially when the opponent is one of the best clubs in the league and they take the opportunity to score two goals.

Finally, many things that cannot happen happened on Thursday evening. Missing your departure, offering the enclave as a gift, abandoning your guardian…

“There is a lot to learn from this match,” said Johnathan Kovacevic, who expected a tough video session this Friday.

Players better bring some snacks. Because there will be a long film to watch.

On the rise: Jesse Ylönen

For substance and form. His two goals are entirely his. On the first, he exploded after smelling a bargain. On the second, he unchecked without hesitation – a rarity in his case.

Down: Josh Anderson

We’ve been hearing for days that if he doesn’t score, he gets chances. Not this time. He has, moreover, constantly struggled in his territory, betrayed by a deficient positioning.

The number of the match: 17

In total, 17 of the 18 Golden Knights skaters had at least one shot on target. Only Keegan Kolesar was cleared in this regard.

In details

Xhekaj falls in battle

We often talk about the checks applied by Arber Xhekaj. This time, he was the victim. The big defenseman was hit hard by Ivan Barbashev in the corner of the ice with just under seven minutes remaining in the second period. Both of his feet left the ground on impact. Back at his team’s bench, Xhekaj seemed bothered by his left shoulder; he eventually left the match and did not return. The Canadian confirmed in the third period that his defender was suffering from an “upper body” injury. We will know more about his state of health this Friday, the team indicated after the match. Last year, a right shoulder injury ended Xhekaj’s season abruptly in mid-February.

Ylönen’s seven fruitful minutes

Despite limited playing time of 7:22, Jesse Ylönen found a way to score two goals in the defeat. The forward, who had been left out of seven of the previous nine games, first scored with a precise shot into the top of the net on a breakaway in the second period. Less than four minutes later, he accepted a pass from Michael Pezzetta in the slot to give the Canadian a 4-3 lead. The 24-year-old Finn came close to completing his hat trick late in the period, when he fired from the left circle; Adin Hill made the save at the last minute. Ylönen, who scored just one goal in the first match of the season, will no doubt be relieved to have regained his offensive touch. “He works hard, whether he plays or not,” noted his linemate Jake Evans. He tries to improve every detail. Scoring is not a problem for him in general. He has so many good skills. […] I thought he played a solid match. »

Primeau in two stages

Cayden Primeau, making his third start this season, had a two-part game. In the first half, the goalkeeper was attacked from all sides. He blocked all 18 pucks that came his way, several times in a very nice way. After less than seven minutes of play, he had already made seven saves. It is undoubtedly thanks to him that the Canadian was able to take a 2-0 lead despite a poor first third. In the second period, he faltered on a Brett Howden shot into the top of the net shorthanded. Without necessarily playing badly, the netminder ultimately allowed 6 goals on 42 shots. He, however, frustrated William Karlsson nine times in defeat. After the game, Martin St-Louis said that his goalkeeper had “a good game, especially in the first” period, recalling the 14 minutes of penalties his team received in the game. Asked once again about the menage a trois in front of the net, the head coach indicated that he was “happy with the way the three are playing”. “I don’t know if it will last the whole year,” he added.