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Montreal Canadiens: A Week of Ups and Downs Recapped
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- Montreal Canadiens: A Week of Ups and Downs Recapped
Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
MONTREAL — There's always Montreal Canadiens news to be absorbed on a daily basis, but there are only so many hours in a day. On Sundays, we recap the most exciting and relevant NHL news stories that you may have missed throughout the week so that you can stay in the Canadiens loop.
Due to the exciting move to Sportsnaut , we'll be running a slightly shortened version of the recap, but we'll be back to our regularly-scheduled programming next week.
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Thursday
Even though the Habs offered a rather mediocre effort versus the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night, they still managed to emerge with a 2-1 overtime win after a very nice play by Ivan Demidov . It was just Demidov's 10th game in the NHL, and yet he displayed the confidence and patience of a 10-year veteran. Fellow rookie Jakub Dobes made 36 saves to maintain his undefeated record. [ Canadiens Highlights: Demidov Plays The Hero Role ]
Don't look now, but Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki is in the midst of a seven-game point streak. It should also be noted that he's having terrible luck in the shooting department, but that should improve as the season unfolds.
St-Louis opted to start Dobes on Wednesday, a logical choice given his early-season results, but there is no goaltender controversy in Montreal, at least not yet. Samuel Montembeault will start versus the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.
The Laval Rocket had a rough outing, losing 6-2 to their rivals, the Belleville Senators. Jacob Fowler stopped 18 of the 24 shots sent his way, while playing behind a very depleted Rocket blue line. Adam Engstrom and Laurent Dauphin provided the goals for Laval.
Friday
The Habs had the day off on Friday, a boon given their recent travel schedule.
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The Montreal Canadiens provided a solid effort versus Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers, erasing a 3-1 deficit to eventually find themselves with a 5-3 lead in the third period. Sniper Cole Caufield scored two goals, including a highlight-reel marker, but questionable officiating opened the door for the Oilers, who scored a pair of late powerplay goals, powering them to a 6-5 win. [ Canadiens Highlights: Oilers Spoil Great Caufield Effort ]
Caufield decided to risk a fine following the game, calling out the referees for their lack of consistency. The 24-year-old did not hold back, suggesting the referees won the game for the Oilers. [ Canadiens Sniper Caufield Sends Message To Referees ]
I'm not convinced they will play alongside each other for the remainder of the season, but Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov continue to build chemistry, while also providing some of the most exciting plays from rookies in the NHL this season.
Michael Hage isn't just one of the most exciting prospects in the system, he also happens to be among the most productive. The 19-year-old Michigan University forward scored a goal and an assist in the Wolverines' 4-0 win over Western Michigan. The multipoint effort pushed his season totals to an impressive six goals and seven assists in just seven games.
Saturday
With 10 percent of the season in the books, we have a good idea of whether or not some of the current Canadiens trends are sustainable, or if they're a flash in the pan situation. Can Caufield keep up his scoring pace? Will Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen play well enough to maintain their roles in the top six? The numbers paint a telling story. [ Canadiens Trends – Goal Scoring And Rookie Production ]
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According to Brendan Gallagher , the referees admitted the boarding penalty on Juraj Slafkovsky , which set off a chain of unfortunate events for the Canadiens, was a mistake. Surprisingly, the NHL is yet to announce a fine for Habs forward Cole Caufield, who did not hold back when discussing the officiating versus the Oilers. [ Canadiens Sniper Caufield Sends Message To Referees ]
We now have footage of the unsportsmanlike penalty given to Josh Anderson in the third period. Admittedly, it was a relatively aggressive show of frustration from Anderson, but given the mistake on the Slafkovsky penalty, you could argue the referees should have erred on the side of caution, rather than further complicating the situation.
The Laval Rocket suffered another one-sided loss, this time versus the Rochester Americans. Laval was held scoreless, being out shot 38-19 in the process.
On Saturday, the Habs spotted the Canucks a 2-0 lead, but thanks to yet another excellent performance by Montreal's super rookie, Ivan Demidov, they managed to leave Vancouver with a 4-3 win. [ Canadiens Highlights: Welcome To The Ivan Demidov Show ]
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