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Canadiens Highlights: Regular Season Comes To A Close
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- Canadiens Highlights: Regular Season Comes To A Close
Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
The Montreal Canadiens faced the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night, marking the final game of the regular season for both clubs.
The Habs opted to rest several players, with Phillip Danault , Josh Anderson , and Mike Matheson watching the game from the press box. Consequently, Zachary Bolduc , Joe Veleno , and rookie David Reinbacher were slotted into the lineup, with the latter paired alongside phenom Lane Hutson.
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The Canadiens outshot the Flyers, but failed to offer a 60-minute effort, dropping a 4-2 decision in a low-energy matchup.
Let's dive into the highlights!
Slow Start
The game lacked intensity from the very get-go, with both teams attempting to avoid injuries before the playoffs start. A logical, if not somewhat underwhelming style of play at this point in the season.
The Flyers, however, showed a little more life than the Habs, with Matvei Michkov leading the charge. The 21-year-old winger scored two goals and added an assist, reaching the 20-goal mark in the process.
Experience At Play
Veteran Brendan Gallagher eventually responded for the Habs, finding the back of the net for the seventh time this season, and cutting the Flyers lead to just one goal.
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Both Kaiden Guhle and Alexandre Texier provided great assists, with the latter delivering a perfect pass despite the high-difficulty involved.
Say what you will about Gallagher's endurance at this stage in his career, but you are guaranteed to get an honest effort from him regardless of the situation, which is always a good lesson for the younger players in the lineup.
Veteran Impact
The Flyers quickly reestablished a two-goal lead, despite the fact that the Habs held a 6-3 advantage in high-danger chances during the second period.
The pressure eventually paid off, when Jake Evans pounced on a loose puck to score his 12th goal of the year in the dying seconds of the frame. You'll note Gallagher once again played a crucial role in the play, not only with his well-timed forecheck, but also by creating chaos in front of Samuel Ersson .
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It's also worth pointing out Arber Xhekaj has a hell of a shot from the point, though he rarely gets the opportunity to use it.
It's the epitome of a heavy shot. If the goaltender does manage to stop it, it almost always leads to a rebound.
Rookie Truculence
David Reinbacher wasn't particularly noticeable, which is a compliment when discussing a rookie playing in his first few NHL games, especially since most of his teammates and opponents had a full season under their belts.
He did show a decent amount of sandpaper in the third period, when he decided to take a swing at fellow first-year player Porter Martone. Reinbacher was lucky to avoid a penalty, but it was a good sign for a player who isn't always eager to show his aggressive side.
All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick .
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