CANADIENS
Montreal

AVALANCHE
Colorado

Game Notes:

P.K. arrives. It was the second game that P.K. Subban wore the ‘A’ on his sweater but it was the first game in six that he delivered a game that matched expectations. Subban scored a power-play goal early in the second period to tie the game. Subban also scored a beautiful goal for the game-winner seconds after exiting the penalty box. Post-game Subban talked about discipline which has been a problem for him with seven minor penalties already this season.

Simply the best. Some fans have had trouble appreciating Carey Price‘s solid start to the season relying solely on meaningless early-season stats. Truth is, Price has carried his team to four of their five wins, making timely saves and not allowing any bad goals. On Saturday night, Price once again bailed his team out making numerous game-saving stops.  Price’s pad save on Matt Duchene was other-worldly.

Tighten up. The Canadiens sit at the top of the NHL standings with a record of 5-1-0. They are the only team in the top-14 of the league that doesn’t have a positive goal differential. Simply put, the Canadiens are giving up far too many quality scoring chances. Price and to a lesser extent Tokarski have had the burden of not allowing the next goal.

The big man. Young defenseman Jarred Tinordi made the most of limited ice-time playing a simple yet effective game in his own zone. A short-time after Brendan Gallagher was taken awkwardly into the boards by Jan Hejda, Tinordi tangled with the largest forward in the Colorado lineup, Cody McLeod. The Avs assistant captain was manhandled by Tinordi.

Quietly effective. It was a another good game for Lars Eller. Early in the second period with his team down by a goal, Eller drove to the Colorado goal, drawing a holding penalty by Marc-Andre Cliche. P.K. Subban scored a power-play goal a short time later to tie the score. Eller assisted on Subban’s game-winning goal.  In a defensive capacity, Eller made a key block in the dying seconds to preserve the win.

Don’t sit down. Alex Galchenyuk brought fans out of their seats midway through the second period as he scored a highlight reel goal just after stepping out of the penalty box. Galchenyuk finished the game with a goal and an assist on five shots. Galchenyuk continues to play with an abundance of energy, perhaps surprisingly, he leads all Canadiens forwards in hits so far this season.

The specialist. Manny Malhotra is playing important minutes on the penalty-kill reducing the load on Tomas Plekanec. But it is clear that in coach Therrien’s plan, Malhotra’s primary value is as a faceoff specialist.  Manny was 72 per cent in the faceoff circle on Saturday night.

Earning his keep. While many speculate that Travis Moen is in the lineup primarily to showcase him for a trade, the simple fact is that he has earned his spot in the lineup. Moen has helped to solidify the penalty-kill, added physicality and even chipped in with four shots on goal against the Avs.

Plus / Minus

▲   Carey Price, P.K. Subban, Alex Galchenyuk, Lars Eller, Jarred Tinordi, Manny Malhotra, Andrei Markov, Travis Moen

▼   Rene Bourque

1.  P.K. Subban  MTL 
2.  Carey Price  MTL
3.  Alex Galchenyuk  MTL

Coach Michel Therrien

• “We played with a lot of energy and we put a lot of pressure on the opposing team. Without those big saves by Pickard, we could’ve taken a bigger lead.”
• On Alex Galchenyuk: “He’s got some great hands. He can make plays at a high level with a lot of speed.”
• On Jarred Tinordi: “He’s a presence out there. I believe the last two games he’s played really well for us.”

Max Pacioretty

• “It’s nice to get everybody on the scoresheet. We have a lot of depth on this team, and you want everybody feeling good about themselves offensively, and that’s definitely the case tonight.”

P.K. Subban

• “I was still ticked off that I took a stupid penalty. I’ve got to stay out of the box. I’m taking penalties every game. It’s fine now that we’re winning, but I’ve got to stay out of the box. If you’re going to be a leader on the team, you need to set the example. I haven’t done a good job of that. I was happy to get the goal though, for sure.”
• On being chosen the game’s first star: “I think that Carey probably deserved it the way he played.”

Carey Price

• “I thought tonight was probably our best game of the six. We played a pretty complete package tonight. We would not have liked to give up the goal in the last three minutes, but overall we’ve got to be pretty happy with that effort.”

Avalanche forward Matt Duchene

• “[Carey Price] played a great game, he made some big saves. But that one, the toe save, I’ve got to lift that. If I lift that eight inches, it’s in the net.”

Avalanche coach Patrick Roy

• “I thought both goaltenders were outstanding, Carey Price made several good saves.”