Anyone else shocked that the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 shootout win over the Philadelphia Flyers was the first of the Jeff Gorton era?
Artturi Lehkonen and Laurent Dauphin got the goals in regulation. Jonathan Drouin sniped in the shootout and Cayden Primeau was a brick wall in the skills competition to go along with 37 saves to get his first win of the year. Not to mention snap the team’s extended seven-game losing streak.
Through it all, there was the unavoidable silence. No cheering. No buzz. The connective tissue of the fans and their team was once again torn asunder less than two hours until puck drop.
It was and will be impossible to ignore.
So for all the fans who travelled for far and wide, booked hotels, spent exorbitant amounts of money and in the end were left stranded?
We feel for you. This sucks. And likely so will life for the foreseeable future as this never-ending pandemic continues.
Here are your five takeaways from the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 shootout win over the Philadelphia Flyers last night
Dauphin here to stay
First, it was Michael Pezzetta. Then Alex Belzile had a pretty good run.
Laurent Dauphin is just the latest NHL long shot to emerge from the AHL’s Laval Rocket and get a shot with the Montreal Canadiens.
And boy, has he ever run with it. So far.
Dauphin’s last goal in the show was nearly five years ago to the day. His third period goal last night was an extension of what has made him such a revelation these past five games: good old fashioned hard work. What has been more surprising has been Dauphin’s pace, his ability to play with more skilled linemates and the way he has seamlessly integrated into the Canadiens lineup.
He played 17:29 last night and it was wholly deserved. With the roster turnover likely to happen over the coming months and spots on the bottom six expected to be up for grabs both this year and at training camp in September, Dauphin has put himself into the conversation.
For now, the 26 year-old is has proved that he is here to stay. His story is that of a tiny victory in a season filled with defeats.
Caufield is so close
Cole Caufield’s game has been building like a crescendo the past five games or so.
Last night was the piece de resistance. Unfortunately in the end there was nothing to show for it on the scoreboard.
Caufield did have a season-high eight shots on goal and looked the most threatening he has all season. The rookie winger’s feet were going all night as he flew through all three zones with a confidence that hadn’t been seen since June. He was dynamic with the puck on his stick and created his own shot. If it weren’t for some sublime goaltending from Carter Hart, Caufield would have scored for the first time since Nov. 24th against Washington.
But what was most encouraging was the players he was doing it with. Nothing would be better for the future of Ryan Poehling than to develop a rapport and chemistry with his countryman. Lehkonen is seemingly able to play with everyone, in a similar mold to Brendan Gallagher. Caufield wasn’t being set up by Nick Suzuki all night. He drove the line he from the wing and carved out his own scoring chances.
If Caufield can string some games together where he plays at that level while so many veterans remain on IR, it should be enough to convince the coaching staff that the best place for him to develop isn’t in Laval but with the big club in Montreal.
Power-ful Play
The Montreal Canadiens only got two opportunities on the power play last night. But the new configuration that has been in place for the past two games has already yielded some startling results.
The first wave of Suzuki, Caufield, Jonathan Drouin, Mike Hoffman and Ben Chiarot has been a revelation. Again, through two games.
On paper, the idea seemed strange but necessary considering that Dominique Ducharme was forced to throw the only skilled players left on the team together. Suzuki has typically run the man advantage from his strong side since he’s been in the league.
But he is still threatening in the bumper spot as a safety valve for Hoffman and Caufield on the perimeter. Drouin’s one-touch passing to Suzuki has nearly come off and created havoc just in front of the opponent’s net. While Chiarot has simply kept the puck moving to the quality players around him.
The Flyers playing rather passively on the penalty kill helped out the Habs, there’s no doubt. But the unit has taken some positive steps forward the last six periods.
Primeau proves himself again
Anyone else half-laugh, half-gasp when Primeau struggled to get up after his final save on Cam Atkinson got his team the win?
Laugh because of course another Habs player would get injured, especially after an impressive 37 save performance. It would be rather on brand for the 2021-22 Montreal Canadiens.
Gasp because no one would want the young man to get injured after getting his first win of the season.
In regulation Primeau was forced to raise his game to the same level at which Hart was playing. He saved his best hockey for the third period when the team really needed him. Techincally, his positioning was sound and his movement was efficient. And when he was called upon to turn on the style, he made two athletic saves on van Riemsdyk and Willman.
In overtime he held steady and then again took his game to another level in the shootout. His patience to deny both Giroux and Atkinson stood out in particular.
Primeau’s first impression to his new boss Gorton did not disappoint.
Emptiness
It’s not about the emptiness of the Bell Centre, although that was striking to see again.
It’s the collective emptiness we all feel as the Montreal Canadiens will play once more in front of nobody.
Now it’s not a surprise that the relationship between the players and the fans hasn’t been ideal this season. The worst start in franchise history has left it strained. It’s been tenuous at best.
But the beating heart of the city is the Bell Centre. Without people in that building, there is a void that is hard to describe. It was apparent last year, even as the team went on their magical run to the Stanley Cup Final.
Hopefully, as the club stated, this separation of the entertainers and the entertained remains temporary until the New Year. But no matter the score, no matter the record, no matter the standings. We all lose something when the fans are separated from the team they love.
Hockey without fans is nothing.
It leaves us hollow, wanting. It leaves us all empty.
Marc has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for Journal Metro, The Athletic, The … More about Marc Dumont