The Montreal Canadiens took on the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night as the hours to the trade deadline trickled down. Trying to book a place in the playoffs for the first time since making the Stanley Cup final in 2021, Martin St-Louis’ men were attempting to win a sixth game in a row against the Oilers double-headed monster.
Taking two high-stick penalties within less than two minutes of each other could have been a disaster for the Canadiens in the first frame, but it wasn’t. Jake Evans, Joel Armia, and David Savard showed how good they are at killing penalties. Fired up by taking a penalty in his hometown and pumped up by the penalty killers’ performance, Brendan Gallagher flew out of the box, and Montreal seemed energized.
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Less than 15 seconds after the end of the second penalty, Cole Caufield could pick Cam Dineen’s pocket and fly to the net to score his 31st of the season, tying the score at 1-1.
Savard was on the ice for over 2:30 or those penalty minutes and played a pivotal role in the momentum shift. If he is traded before the deadline, the Canadiens will miss him. As for newly extended Jake Evans, he was on the ice for 2:17 during the two penalties. There’s a reason why Montreal has the fifth-best penalty kill.
In his post-game press conference, St-Louis often talks about taking what the game gives you, and I think nobody has understood what he means better than Lane Hutson. At training camp, he was a kid always on the attack; today, he picks his moments, whether it is to lead the attack or to join in a rush.
His offensive instinct made Armia’s equalising goal in the middle frame. Four Edmonton players were in their zone against two Canadiens, but the young blueliner took the puck up ice, drew defenders in, and then dished out the puck exactly where Armia would be a second later.
Whenever you face Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and post a .909 save percentage, you did what you had to do. Rebound control might not have been perfect, but Samuel Montembeault faced six shots from Zach Hyman, four from Draisaitl, and three from McDavid. The German was the only one to beat him, and that was on a power play.
Granted he was saved by his post when McDavid hit the iron in the third frame, but they do say you’ve got to be lucky to be good and good to be lucky. In the end, Montembeault allowed the Canadiens to come out with a point after a game in which they only took 13 shots in the last 40 minutes of regulation (I guess that’s an improvement from 11 in Monday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres). Montreal does go away with a precious point in the standings and remain a single point out of the playoffs.
The Habs will now head to Calgary where they have a date with the Flames on Saturday night, but before then, some players may have a restless night as they wait to find out what fate has in store for them.
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