The atmosphere was already good at the Canadian and the team made sure to start their stay in California on the right foot.
Kaiden Guhle and Jesse Ylönen scored back-to-back in the third period as the Montreal squad defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-1 on Tuesday at SAP Center.
Guhle was playing his first game since Dec. 29, when he suffered a knee injury against the Florida Panthers. He had missed the last 23 games for the Habs.
The Canadiens are 6-3-0 since the All-Star Game break.
“We’re having a lot of fun,” admitted head coach Martin St-Louis. On the bench, the guys are having fun and are engaged. They work hard for each other. We’re not perfect, but we encourage each other when we make mistakes. The players who follow on the ice will take over or try to continue the momentum. »
“The feelings are good and that’s what we want,” he added.
Jake Allen closed the door to the Sharks, making 38 saves in front of the Canadian net (26-30-4).
“Jake was solid and he’s one of the reasons we won the game,” St-Louis said. I didn’t dislike the first two periods, but our play left something to be desired due to a lack of execution. »
“We wanted the third period to be our best of the game and it was the case, however, rejoiced the coach. We stuck to the plan. We didn’t have to cheat. We trusted our concepts and it ended up paying off. »
Christian Dvorak added an insurance goal into an empty net late in the game.
Jacob MacDonald had given the Sharks the lead (18-31-12) in the first period. Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 29 shots.
Acquired from the Dallas Stars on Sunday in exchange for Evgenii Dadonov, forward Denis Gurianov made a good first impression with the Canadian. Playing alongside Nick Suzuki and Mike Hoffman, Gurianov had several scoring chances and took six shots on net.
“As expected, he’s fast, has a good shot and isn’t afraid to go to the net,” St-Louis said of the 25-year-old Russian. I also noticed that he has good habits when he doesn’t have the puck. »
On the Sharks side, forwards Fabian Zetterlund and Andreas Johnsson played their first game with their new team. They were involved in the recent trade that sent Timo Meier to the New Jersey Devils.
The Canadian will play again Thursday and Friday, when he will visit the Los Angeles Kings and then the Anaheim Ducks.
By dint of trying
The Sharks scored on their first shot on goal of the game, 1:43 into the game. MacDonald beat Allen moments after a turnover from Justin Barron behind the Habs net.
The Canadian knocked on the door on two power plays in the first period, but he came up against Kahkonen.
At the other end of the rink, Nick Bonino hit the crossbar on a Sharks power play.
Both teams had scoring opportunities on a four-on-four run in the second period. Gurianov escaped, but Kahkonen made the save with his mitt. For his part, Allen stood up to Noah Gregor.
Allen kept the Canadiens in the game with other good saves, including one on a point-blank shot from Johnsson.
Moments after a Sharks shot bounced off the post, the Canadian tied the game at 8:07 of the final third. Guhle took advantage of a loose puck in the top slot to unleash a cannonball that left Kahkonen no chance.
Ylönen then gave the Habs the lead 1:52 later. Rem Pitlick did all the work on the breakaway before sliding the puck to his right to the Finn, who was coming in support. Ylönen was able to shoot into a gaping cage.
Dvorak completed the mark with 4.1 seconds left on the clock.
Locker Room Echoes
In an interview following the match, Kaiden Guhle underlined the recent attacking contribution of CH defenders.
“Everyone is supporting themselves well. We know where our teammates are going to be and they are there. Everyone is on the same wavelength and that’s how it goes in a good team. »
In addition to the good comments from his coach, the new arrival of the Habs, Denis Gurianov, himself noted the ease of developing cohesion with his linemate, Nick Suzuki.
“It’s fun to play with him. He is fast and has an excellent sense of the game. We were able to anticipate the games well. »
Another convinced of Gurianov’s addition to the roster, Jake Allen had good things to say about the new Montreal forward.
“I played against him many times when I was in the St. Louis Blues uniform. He is an excellent player. Maybe things weren’t going so well for him this season, but he’s still dangerous on the ice. I think he can have success with us thanks to the approach of “Marty” [St-Louis]. »