Add StudioX as a preferred source on GoogleThe Montreal Canadiens have won five straight games after a 5-4 home victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, according to a Global News Montreal column by sportswriter Brian Wilde. The team returned to the Bell Centre after a four-game road trip in which it won all eight available points.
The column says Montreal did not play tight hockey against Pittsburgh, but it did play winning hockey.
Fourth line and quick strikes
The scoring started with the fourth line. Florian Xhekaj moved the puck up to Owen Beck, who set up Oliver Kapanen for a one-timer, his first goal of the season.
Josh Anderson scored 24 seconds later with a shot into the top corner under the crossbar. He added a second goal that accidentally deflected off him on a Lane Hutson point shot.
Montreal then scored twice in 27 seconds in the second period. Hutson set up the first with a spinerama pass to Alexandre Texier. Chris Kreider scored the second, slipping home a rebound after his first attempt was stopped.
Kirby Dach missed the game because he was ill. The column argues the fourth line did what such a line should, with Xhekaj immovable in front of the net and Beck delivering a hard hit on a defenceman. It says Beck has the team’s best Expected Goals but has not yet earned much respect.
Wilde writes that the Canadiens’ general manager has handled the salary cap well enough that the team can afford scorers on its first three lines. He also notes Beck and Kapanen are strong defensive players, so the fourth line could combine defensive play with physical pressure.
Concerns at home
The column is critical of how Montreal plays in front of its own fans. On the road, including a four-game winning stretch that featured a win in Dallas, the team played controlled hockey, allowed few two-on-ones and even fewer breakaways, and made opponents earn their chances. The one exception cited was a poor third period in St. Louis.
At home, Wilde says, the team becomes reckless on defence. He points to an ill-advised pinch by Alexandre Carrier in the first period and a giveaway by Arber Xhekaj on Pittsburgh’s third goal, with no one covering a man afterward. He adds that Montreal’s better road record, as last year, reflects a difference in how it plays.
Goalie Jacob Fowler allowed four goals on 29 shots, and his save percentage dropped from .942 to .932. His Goals Saved Above Expected rose to a league-leading 10.2.
The line of Alex Newhook, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky struggled against Sidney Crosby’s matchup and finished with an Expected Goals share of only 20 per cent. The column adds that Nick Suzuki could return soon, and that word is he is close.
Kucherov trade talk
Wilde also touches on a rumour involving Tampa Bay star Nikita Kucherov. The column says it is reported that Kucherov wants six years at $20 million per season, that talks with the Lightning have broken down, and that he has asked for a trade. It says the rumour is that Montreal is on his list of ten acceptable cities.
In the writer’s opinion, Canadiens GM Kent Hughes should not pursue the 33-year-old, because a long contract pays for a player’s future rather than his past. Wilde compares this to former GM Marc Bergevin’s six-year deal for Brendan Gallagher.
Wilde writes the Canadiens’ game recaps for Global News after each game.
Source: Global News Montreal
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving multilingual diaspora communities across Canada. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, NEPMCC, and the Canadian Freelance Union (Unifor). Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
