CANADIENS
Montreal

SENATORS
Ottawa

Lineup

Forward lines and defense pairings: 

[one_half]Pacioretty – Plekanec – Gallagher
Eller – Galchenyuk – Smith-Pelly
Fleischmann – Desharnais – Weise
Byron – Mitchell – Flynn[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Markov – Subban
Emelin – Petry
Beaulieu – Gilbert[/one_half_last]

Goaltenders:

Condon
Tokarski

Scratches: Jarred Tinordi, Alex Semin
Injured reserve:  Carey Price
Suspended: Zack Kassian

Game Report

The Canadiens had their first taste of 3-on-3 overtime in the regular season and it didn’t last long. Just 34 seconds into the extra period Kyle Turris converted the a 2-on-1 for the winner.  Max Pacioretty had given up the puck in the Ottawa zone and the game was over.

It turns out that possession is key in the new style overtime in the NHL. But there is also a focus on possession throughout the game. It is a point that Michel Therrien stressed over and over in English and French during his post-game presser.

Just over seven minutes into the third period the Senators second line was pressing in the Canadiens zone. Nathan Beaulieu and Tom Gilbert, who had shaky moments all game, were struggling to move the puck. The Sens sent out the third line and an already long shift extended for the Habs second line and third defense pairing.

With the puck finally cleared, Devante Smith-Pelly skated into the Ottawa zone but was clearly gassed by a shift that was approaching 1:41 in length. Lars Eller picked up the puck somehow finding new air and weaved through the offensive zone. The Canadiens were able to make a desperately needed four-man change.

And because of Eller’s remarkable play, Montreal retained possession.

The unenlightened on broadcasts and social media pounced on Eller trying to spin a positive play into an example of a lack of hockey IQ. It’s utter nonsense. Eller’s play made a smart play and fit with Therrien’s new emphasis on possession.

Over the course of the game the Canadiens had a 71-42 advantage in shot attempts. When it came to possession, they executed well. But as has been the case in the past, the Habs had trouble beating Senators goalie Craig Anderson. The Canadiens top line had 15 shots on goal but could not solve Anderson.

It was Montreal’s second line who had the most sustained periods of possession. Eller was relentless on the forecheck, Galchenyuk had a good night in the faceoff circle and Smith-Pelly was effective on the boards.

But it was a member of the third line who picked up the Canadiens lone goal. Dale Weise scored his team-leading seventh of the season on the power-play set up by slick passing from Andrei Markov and Alex Galchenyuk.

But the Senators were opportunistic hanging around long enough to take advantage of a possession error by the home team.

The Canadiens next action is on Thursday as the Islanders come to Montreal.

▲     Alex Galchenyuk, Andrei Markov, Dale Weise, Mike Condon, Brendan Gallagher, Jeff Petry, Lars Eller, Andrei Markov

▼     Nathan Beaulieu, Brian Flynn

1. Craig Anderson   OTT
2. Mike Condon  MTL
3. Kyle Turris  OTT

• “I couldn’t ask for more. I think we played an impeccable game. The first game after a long Western trip, I definitely had certain concerns before the game, and the players responded in an extraordinary way.”
• “You look at all the lines, we’ve got speed and we use our speed to make sure that we’re tough to play against, and we pursue the puck very well.”

Dale Weise

• “That was a good shift. The three of us were working hard there. We haven’t had a lot of power play time together but I think we had some good looks, we had some good chances just before, one in the slot. That feels good to score on the power play for us.“

Brendan Gallagher

• “The explanation I got was I was in the crease, which I agree with, I was. But the replay I saw, I don’t know, maybe there were other ones, I didn’t think I made contact. But he said I interfered with his ability to get across just by being there. I’m going to the net to make it tough on him, that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Mike Condon

• “No one likes losing. It was a hard-fought game. I thought Craig Anderson played really well, we took it to them in the third. That’s the way it goes sometimes. It was a nice play there in overtime. We’ll take the point.“

Senators goaltender Craig Anderson

• “We’ve been good on the road. We’ve come ready to play and we find ways to win games on the road, and that’s good, that’s hard to do. It’s hard to come into this building and beat this team; they’re a good team and it’s a great energy building, their fans get behind them, and I’m just proud of the way the guys played tonight.”

Senators coach Dave Cameron

• “You just worry about the things you can control. We had no control over the whistle, and that’s how we play.“

Quotes courtesy of NHL.com