(Montreal) The Canadian came up against a more seasoned team, Saturday night at the Bell Centre, and which he would like to emulate.
Brandon Hagel had two goals and an assist, Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 22 shots and the Tampa Lightning beat Montreal 5-1.
The Lightning were more opportunistic and more effective on the power play. Then, Vasilevskiy took care of the rest in net.
“You give them a little window and they take advantage of it,” said Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis of the Lightning. It is a very experienced team, which does not have a facet where it is not good.
“It’s a good lesson for us. It allows us to see what we would like to become,” he added.
The Canadian continued to be undermined by his power play. After ending an 0-for-23 streak on Thursday in a loss to the Anaheim Ducks, the Habs finished the night with a 0-for-3 performance.
The St. Louis troops also allowed at least one goal when their opponent played on the power play in a fourth game in a row.
“I liked our first half, but we came out 2-0 down. Then in the second period, we took penalties and that made the difference,” admitted St-Louis.
Nick Suzuki was the only scorer for the Canadian (14-15-2), who have won only two of their last eight games (2-5-1). Jake Allen stopped 22 pitches.
Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist, while Nick Paul and Anthony Cirelli also scored for the Lightning (20-9-1), which won a fifth straight game. Steven Stamkos had two assists.
Defender Mike Matheson was back in action for the Canadiens after missing four games with a lower body injury. Forward Michael Pezzetta has also been added to the lineup. Evgenii Dadonov and Chris Wideman were left out.
The Canadiens will play their next seven games away. His first stop will be on Monday, with a duel against the Arizona Coyotes.
In another class
Joel Armia got the first good chance of the game, but Vasilevskiy managed to close the opening when the Finn deflected a Christian Dvorak throw-in.
The Lightning scored on their first shot on goal of the game at 2:57. Hagel beat Allen between the pads on a breakaway.
Armia, who is still unscored this season, knocked on the door again for the Canadian, but Vasilevskiy made the save again.
Dvorak threatened on the power play for the Canadiens, but it was the Lightning who scored moments later, when the teams were back at even strength. Paul took advantage of a return to the slot after a Nick Perbix shot to make it 2-0 with 8:21 remaining in the first period.
A rare Victor Hedman blunder allowed Jonathan Drouin to fire a shot from the slot, but Vasilevskiy was alert and made the save.
The second period gave the two penalty benches a real ride. The Lightning took advantage of two of their four chances, while the Canadian was 0-for-2.
Cirelli scored at 9:26, completing a fine rally initiated by Nikita Kucherov and Corey Perry. Hagel then deflected a shot from Hedman at 17:47.
The Canadian’s two best chances came from the stick of Pezzetta, which reached the post, then was frustrated by Vasilevskiy during the same numerical disadvantage.
Suzuki finally put the Canadian on the score after 16 seconds of play in the third period, completing a fine move by Kaiden Guhle.
Cole Caufield found himself on the breakaway about 20 seconds after the game resumed, but Vasilevskiy avoided giving the Canadian chances to believe it by making the save.
The rest of the meeting was just a formality. Kucherov turned the iron in the wound with a nice net with 1:59 to go on the clock.
Locker Room Echoes
Nick Suzuki noted that the pace of the game could have been much different if the Canadian had taken advantage of his chances at the start of the game.
“We generated chances, but their goalkeeper made the difference, as is often the case. »
Jonathan Drouin underlined how difficult it is to have rhythm when the team accumulates visits to the penalty box.
“There are guys who play less and others who will start to have less energy to play five against five. »
Fans heckled the Habs when they were in trouble on the power play, but they made waves in the third period even with their favorites trailing by three goals, a situation Kaiden Guhle admitted was peculiar.
“I think it shows their passion. When the power play doesn’t work, they get frustrated and so do we. But they keep cheering us on even when we’re behind because they believe in us. »
Rising
PHOTO ERIC BOLTE, USA TODAY SPORTS
Michael Pezzetta
We have rarely seen him so much in the offensive zone in a game. The hairy winger got at least three quality shots.
Falling
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Cole Caufield
His trio certainly had a very strong third period, but it had been painful before that. Excluding Monday’s game where he was injured, it’s the second time this season he hasn’t gotten a shot in a game.
The number of the game
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Andrei Vasilevskiy
13-1-2
This is Andrei Vasilevskiy’s record against the Canadian. If we add the 2021 final, the Lightning goaltender has beaten the Canadian 17 times in 21 starts.
Guillaume Lefrancois, The Press