Habs News: NHL, Montreal Canadiens, Nick Suzuki, Jake Allen, Jeff Gorton, Geoff Molson, Kent Hughes, Kale Clague, Laval Rocket, Trois-Rivieres Lions
ROCKET SPORTS MEDIA | LAVAL, QC. — On Saturday, the Canadiens had a one-goal lead with 9:48 remaining in regulation when the Predators won a battle in the crease to tie the score and force overtime. In the extra time, Filip Forsberg was left wide open to score the game winning goal in Nashville’s 4-3 win.
“As I group I thought we played well. Obviously, we got to stay out of the box, especially against that team, they get a lot of momentum out of their power play. I thought our penalty kill did a good job, and on five-on-five I thought we had one of our better games lately,” Nick Suzuki said.
The Canadiens forward scored for the first time in 11 games. “I really tried to shoot the puck a lot today, luckily one went in,” commented Suzuki. “I think the games are all the same. We’ve struggled a bit on the road, and personally I just haven’t been producing the same on the road. Hopefully this is a step in the right direction,” added the forward about his first away goal of the season.
Jake Allen made 40 saves in the loss. Since returning from the concussion, Allen has been kept busy, facing an average of 40.6 shots in five starts. “He made some huge saves. I think in the third period it could have gotten away from us. He stepped up big and he’s been doing that all season,” Suzuki said.
Signs of a new regime appeared before puck drop as the Canadiens modified a policy put in place during Marc Bergevin’s tenure, that forced players to wear a helmet during warmups. Going forward, veterans will have the option to do so. Seven players took that option in Nashville.
GM Search
In his first media availability as a member of the Canadiens organization, Executive Vice President Jeff Gorton asked for patience. On Saturday, Gorton spoke to TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie and provided insight on some of the key priorities.
Gorton confirmed that he will not be alone to make the hiring decision for the next general manager. In 2012, Geoff Molson reached out to Serge Savard for assistance in recruiting a general manager.
“I think Geoff Molson has talked about a committee, and doing it that way. I think it will really be helpful for me. A lot of the names that are out there, I don’t know them that well. Geoff will build a committee and I will work with him and the committee, and we’ll try to find the best person,” Gorton said.
The official process will likely not begin this week, as Molson will be in Florida for NHL’s Board of Governors meeting this Thursday, and Friday. Gorton confirmed that the organization has not begun asking permission to speak to candidates currently employed by another team.
In their respective press conferences last week, Molson and Gorton said that they will be looking for a general manager that complements Gorton’s skillsets. The duo mentioned that they will be looking outside of the box for candidates.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday that Kent Hughes could be a potential candidate for the role. Hughes is an agent with Quartexx Management, representing some high profile players such as Patrice Bergeron, and Kris Letang.
“I don’t control speculations. I had no discussions regarding the GM job,” Hughes told TVA Sports about Friedman’s report.
Future Roster Decisions
Gorton is currently in the process of assessing and evaluating the current situation before making a decision on his vision. It is not realistic to expect an individual to join the organization, and immediately make drastic changes.
The Canadiens already have over $80-million against the cap (including Shea Weber) committed for next season. If Gorton feels that a rebuild is the best direction for the organization, he will need to find a way to move contracts.
When Lavoie asked Gorton to comment about Carey Price‘s future with the team, the Canadiens executive shed some light on upcoming discussions with several players. “I think for a lot of players on this team right now, that might be something we want to do, find out exactly where they are in their career, and we’ll go from there.”
In addition to Price, Jeff Petry, Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, and Joel Edmundson are other players with multiple years remaining on their deals, and a no-movement or no-trade clause.
Kale Clague
On Saturday, the Canadiens made their first roster move under the new management regime by claiming defenceman Kale Clague from waivers. Clague was drafted 51st overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2016. The left shooting defenceman has collected 11 assists in 33 career NHL games since 2019-20 season. Los Angeles had scratched Clague for the last four matches before placing him on waivers.
Clague played for Dominique Ducharme for two years at the World Junior Championships in 2017 and 2018. “He skates well, he’s not the biggest or most physical defenceman. The way he defends, he has an active stick. He’s able to bring an offensive touch with the way that he moves the puck,” shared Ducharme.
Rocket Win a Pair
The Rocket played two games over the weekend. On Friday, the Stars forced the game into overtime with a goal with eight seconds remaining in regulation. In extra time, Brandon Gignac scored the winning goal that sent the 7,191 fans home happy from Place Bell following the 4-3 victory.
“We’ve been working pretty hard the last couple of weeks. The boys are positive, and we knew what was coming, it was just a matter of time. Everybody put the effort, and we got the result,” Jean-Sebastien Dea said about the victory snapping Laval’s four-game losing streak.
On Sunday, Cayden Primeau made 34 saves to help his team defeat the Marlies 5-1 in Toronto. Dea scored a pair in the victory.
Laval will host Manitoba on Wednesday, before heading on the road to face Rochester on Friday, and Hershey on Sunday.
Lions on a Roll
On Saturday, the Trois-Rivieres Lions completed a sweep of their three-game series against the Florida Everblades with a 6-3 win. The victory extended Lions win streak to six games. Trois-Rivieres continues their six-game road trip with three games in Newfoundland starting on Friday.
Peter Abbandonato scored four goals on Saturday, three of them on the power play. Abbandonato leads the team with 11 goals, and 23 points in 17 games. He also leads the ECHL with seven goals, and 12 points on the power play.
The Laval native was rewarded for his play by being recalled by the Rocket. He joined the team on Sunday in Toronto, but was not dressed for the match against the Marlies.
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By Chris G., Senior Writer
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