Whatever happened to the Montreal Canadiens during the Christmas break, it wasn’t good.
This team had won three of four games in Western Canada and closed out the pre-Christmas schedule in the third place in the Atlantic Division after having responded to an 0-5-3 run with wins in seven of its last 10 games.
But 5-4 and 6-5 losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers on successive nights have put them back in a precarious position ahead of their final game of 2019. The Canadiens are in fifth place in the Atlantic Division, two points behind the Lightning (who have two games in-hand) and three points behind the third-place Panthers (who own one game in-hand).
And it’s not because Montreal didn’t battle in these two games. They fought as hard as any team possibly could in having to chase down multi-goal leads in the third period of both contests. There’s nothing bad to say about the character of this group and about its sheer will to fight for every point.
But there’s something that needs to be said about the focus of the group when — on back-to-back nights and against two teams they’re battling tooth-and-nail with in the playoff race — they beat themselves.
When you look at the mistakes the Canadiens made in these two games, it’s hard to see it otherwise.
DEFENSIVE LAPSES, GOALTENDING, PENALTIES LEAD TO TRAGIC TRIP TO FLORIDA
Here’s what Brendan Gallagher had to say about the Canadiens stringing together key wins prior to this weekend’s action:
“I think we learned how we needed to play as a team, how we needed to really tighten up and what was going to lead to success. We kind of found a little bit of a formula, and now it’s on us to not fall back into the trap that we did before.”
Boy, do those words ever resonate right now.
Gallagher took two of five offensive-zone penalties the Canadiens were charged with in the loss to Florida, and he made an egregious error on Aleksander Barkov’s goal to tie the game 3-3 in the second period.
Jeff Petry and Brett Kulak were caught out of position on the play in question, but it was the most reliable pair of Canadiens defencemen through December — Ben Chiarot and Shea Weber — that got burned on four of the goals the Panthers scored.
And for a second night in a row, Carey Price was beat on at least two shots he’d like to have back.
Knowing him, he’d probably like to have back all six goals he gave up to Florida on the first 22 shots he faced.
Gallagher, Chiarot, Weber, Price… If those are the guys making the most glaring mistakes in the game, the Canadiens have virtually no chance of winning. No matter how hard they fight.
Meanwhile, getting back to the theme of mental errors, taking five penalties in the second half of a back-to-back situation — and against a team that had scored on seven of its last 17 power plays — is asking for trouble. Taking all five in the offensive zone is completely inexcusable, and it’s as clear an indication as there is that the Canadiens weren’t mentally sharp enough to win this game.
Granted, the Panthers scored all their goals at even strength, but they likely beat the Canadiens in that category because of the momentum they gained on the power play and the energy the Canadiens burned on the penalty kill.
That would at least in part explain how the Canadiens allowed Florida to score in bursts. The Panthers got their first two in less than two minutes and scored another two later on in 35 seconds.
The bounces factored in — they always do — but they weren’t the difference in the game, even if Gallagher and Nick Suzuki both hit the post and the Canadiens missed several golden opportunities to score while pucks bounced off Chiarot and Weber on separate occasions for goals against.
“When you score nine goals in two games, you should be able to gain some points in the standings,” Canadiens coach Claude Julien told reporters after the loss to the Panthers. “Unfortunately, we’re playing what you call pond hockey, we’re exchanging chances with the other team, and we’re not in a position to play that way. Especially with the injuries we have and all that. It’s important for us to play a much tighter defensive game than we have lately.”
When Julien was asked if Price was given a good enough chance to win the game, he responded by saying the goaltender was as much to blame as anyone else.
“We lost the game, and I think everyone can be a lot better than they were,” Julien added. “If we’re here to accept roses when we win, we’ll take the criticism, too, when we lose. I’d say everyone can be better defensively.”
QUICK HITS
• Jonathan Huberdeau recorded the first four-point game of his career on Dec. 16. Then he notched another one in his very next game. And on Sunday, Huberdeau set up the second and third goal the Panthers scored and then put in two of his own to give his team a 5-3 lead.
The Saint-Jerome, Que., native, who scored 92 points a season ago, now has 16 points in his last six games. Huberdeau now has 16 goals and 53 points in 38 games.
Only five players have more points. Their names are Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Nathan MacKinnon, and yet it’s rare to hear Huberdeau’s name lumped in with these others.
It’s fair to say that he’s the most underrated forward in the NHL.
• Canadiens rookie Suzuki registered his first three-point night in the NHL and has points now in five consecutive games (one goal, seven assists).
UP NEXT
The Canadiens will play the Hurricanes in Carolina on New Year’s Eve.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
