Last night, Anthony Richard fulfilled a boy’s dream by playing a game for the Canadiens. I guess, in his mind, it didn’t necessarily take place in a college arena, but hey.
In the Canadian victory, the Quebecer (whose birthday is today, by the way) played nearly 11 minutes (10:58) and took two shots on goal. He looked like an NHL player.
But the eye test was also conclusive. His great speed was put to good use during the encounter, which is a good thing, but he really had some offensive breakthroughs.
He was not Maurice or Henri, but no one asks him to be: we just want him to be Anthony, a talented hockey player who brings his stone to the collective building.
And I’m not the only one who liked his game: Martin St-Louis too.
The coach, in the third period, transferred him with Jonathan Drouin and Josh Anderson following stirring up his fruit salad in the third period. He liked his speed as well as his energy.
Richard will be the first to say thathe was too generous by offering a pass to Joel Armia (in second) when he had a good line of fire, but overall it’s a nice addition for CH.
He found, as it should be, a way of making oneself indispensable. He obtained (and deserved) the confidence of his coach and that helped the main interested party, but also the club.
In his first two NHL games with the Nashville Predators, Anthony Richard had clocked 7:22 and 4:10.
He has already received a larger audition in his debut with the CH.
— J-F Chaumont (@JFChaumontJDM) December 20, 2022
If Richard ended up with Drouin and Anderson, it was because Martin St-Louis felt he had to make some changes. Kirby Dach found his usual companions on the first line (and he also found his bearings) while Drouin took the center of the second unit.
Because, in fact, it was difficult for Dach on many levels, especially in the face-off circle.
#Habs had a strong night in the faceoff dot:
– Nick Suzuki = 65%
– Jonathan Drouin = 60%
– Christian Dvorak = 54%
– Jake Evans = 67%— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) December 20, 2022
And once more, Drouin did well. I like what the Quebecer has brought to CH since his return to the game. He even tried to challenge Shayne Gostisbehere following he hit Juraj Slafkovsky.
Hat.
It was precisely Juraj Slafkovsky, who had a difficult match until then, who suffered and took his place on the club’s fourth line to finish the match. He only spent 10:34 on the ice.
Will he still be on the four tomorrow night for a game once morest the Avalanche? That remains to be seen.
But OK. In the end, in this first match played once morest André Tourigny’s men live from a university arena, the Canadian managed to save himself with the victory.
What do I remember from that match?
1. The Canadiens players obviously needed a short period of adaptation. The more the game progressed, the more we had the feeling that the Canadian was taking his ease. After all, in the first period, the Canadiens were really dominated by the Coyotes.
In the first period, the locals shot 17 times and allowed only five shots.
It was a miracle to see the Canadian get away with an equal score following 20 minutes of play… especially since the club had fallen back into its bad habits in terms of discipline. Fortunately, following two penalties in the first, the CH was disciplined therefollowing.
But if the CH returned to the locker room with an equal score of 0-0, it is really because of Samuel Montembeault. The Quebecer was dominant during last night’s game.
A great night in net!
Solid night between the pipes!#GoHabsGo | @CasinoMontreal pic.twitter.com/QBMxicpY6n
— Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) December 20, 2022
He played exactly as the Canadiens needed. The two goals that were conceded by the goalkeeper are not lemons, if you know what I mean.
This gave confidence to the guys, who ended up snatching the victory facing the favorites of the day. The Coyotes stopped shooting following 40 minutes, but it was a big game for the goaltender.
2. The Mullett Arena is a nice arena, but the thing is, it’s not an NHL arena. That said, it still gives beautiful images from Montreal cottages.
It must be special to be in the desert when you’ve just come out of a storm in Quebec…
3. We have to talk regarding Kaiden Guhle, a player who really impressed me. He played a strong game with and even without the puck and we saw the confidence that lives in him on the first goal of the Canadian.
He was also entitled to playing time on the power play. I was regarding to ask Santa Claus that.
In the absence of veterans like David Savard and Mike Matheson, the Canadiens must see their youngsters take on more. Kaiden Guhle clearly manages to respond for his coach.
He’s not the one giving headaches in St-Louis, I’m sure.
Lately Coach Marty looks more and more like someone questioning his life decisions. pic.twitter.com/QbcRYhC8wV
— HabsLinks (@HabsLinks) December 20, 2022
4. In fact, the players who are not necessarily the stars of the club managed to rise and play an important role in the victory. Yes, Cole Caufield scored, but Guhle made a great play on goal.
Arber Xhekaj and Christian Dvorak joined forces to score the second goal of the match, on a pass from Evgenii Dadonov. And in overtime, it was Mike Hoffman who settled the debate on passes from Kirby Dach and Joel Edmundson.
What was Joel doing on the ice at that time?
Nick Suzuki didn’t get a point in the game, which is rare for him. That being said, the Canadiens found a way to win… and the Coyotes picked up a point in the standings.
Prolongation
The Canadian slept in Arizona and the club will head to Denver today. Tomorrow, Artturi Lehkonen’s Avalanche will find themselves on the path of the Canadiens.
The CH will therefore try to build on its momentum for the last two games before the holidays.
Will training be on the menu for Martin St-Louis’ men before they leave for Colorado? I do not know. But if that’s the case, we shouldn’t learn much.
Other than a goalie change, I don’t really anticipate any change in the roster.
