Canadiens Lineup

Tomas Tatar – Phillip Danault – Brendan Gallagher

Paul Byron – Max Domi – Andrew Shaw

Artturi Lehkonen – Jesperi Kotkaniemi – Joel Armia 

Nicolas Deslauriers – Nate Thompson – Matthew Peca

Victor Mete – Shea Weber

Mike Reilly – Jeff Petry

Brett Kulak – Jordie Benn

Carey Price – Antti Niemi

Christian Folin, Charles Hudon, Jonathan Drouin (flu)

none

Game Report

The Canadiens couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game scoring three times in the first period. The woeful Montreal power-play even got on the board with Jeff Petry scoring his 11th goal of the season. The Habs outshot Toronto 20-10 in the opening frame.

Post-game Brendan Gallagher identified the turning point of the game: two Toronto power-play goals in the second period. Not the penalties themselves but the Canadiens inability to kill them off.

Claude Julien said something similar when he came to the podium. Despite numerous opportunities to clear the puck while down a man, the penalty-killers failed.

Gallagher conceded that once the game was tied 3-3, Toronto was the better team. Julien didn’t like the blind turnover from Phillip Danault either in the third period that handed the Leafs the winning goal.

The Canadiens gave up six unanswered goals (two empty-netters) after opening the game with a 3-0 lead. It’s unacceptable at this time of the year and unacceptable for a team expecting to make the playoffs.

Remember that four-game test not too long ago against the league’s contenders? We figured out quite quickly that the Canadiens aren’t among that group. The folks from Montreal are more than one piece away.

And they don’t measure up too well against Toronto in the coaching department either.

So unless Marc Bergevin is going to follow in the footsteps of Jarmo Kekäläinen, and swing for the fences prior to Monday at 3 p.m., this loss should not alter the plan. Canadiens management should already have a realistic appraisal of their hockey team. 

We’re constantly told that Bergevin is one of the most active general managers on the phones. He showed interest in Cam Fowler, even personally taking in some games. Now it seems that Anaheim will hold on to their defenceman.

It was rumoured that Montreal was one of three teams to be in on Matt Duchene but we know how that turned out with Columbus making the winning bid.

Today it was reported that Bergevin was in attendance to scout the New York Rangers – New Jersey Devils game. Rangers announced that Mats Zuccarello, Kevin Hayes and Adam McQuaid wouldn’t be in the lineup. Zuccarello was dealt to the Dallas Stars a short time later.

Given the raised expectations, will Habs fans be suitably “entertained” if the total haul by Bergevin ends up being Nate Thompson, Dale Weise and Christian Folin?

Plus / Minus

▲  Carey Price, Tomas Tatar, Jeff Petry

▼  Victor Mete, Nicolas Deslauriers, Matthew Peca, Joel Armia, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Artturi Lehkonen