About Last Night: A character comeback win for Canadiens over Blue Jackets - Montreal Gazette | Canada News Media
Connect with us

Sports

About Last Night: A character comeback win for Canadiens over Blue Jackets – Montreal Gazette

Published

 on


It was a tough start to the game for the Montreal Canadiens but they eventually pulled out the win with Cole Caufield scoring in overtime.

Article content

After the first period, it’s fair to say most Habs fans weren’t feeling super upbeat about their team’s performance. It was 2-0 for the Columbus Blue Jackets and the team from Ohio seemed to have spooked the Habs with a couple of dirty hits from behind early in the period.

But things began to turn for the better for the CH from the start of the second, with Nick Suzuki scoring just 27 seconds into the period. It was the Montreal captain’s first goal of the season.

Advertisement 2

Article content

Article content

Advertisement 3

Article content

The Canadiens had a lot more jump in the second and in his post-game on-ice interview with RDS’s Marc Denis, Cole Caufield confirmed what most of us thought, which is that head coach Martin St. Louis had something to say to the troops in the dressing room after that awful first period.

“There were some words said from coach,” said Caufield.

And there was some impressive action from young Mr. Caufield. He scored his second overtime goal of the season to give the CH a 4-3 win over the Blue Jackets. He sniped a beauty that soared into the top corner behind goalie Elvis Merzlikins.

Article content

Advertisement 4

Article content

Sean Monahan had tied it up just under eight minutes into the third, tipping in a Caufield shot to make it 3-3.

Advertisement 5

Article content

Mike Matheson had brought the Canadiens within one goal right at the end of the second, with a wrister from just above the face-off circle.

Advertisement 6

Article content

It was Matheson’s second goal in two games, following his highlight-reel marker against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday when he went coast-to-coast. Both were power-play goals.

On Thursday, Montreal scored two power-play goals, a big boost for the team’s much-criticized play on the man advantage.

Emil Bemstrom scored two of the Columbus goals, with the first coming on the power play late in the first and the second was also with the man advantage, in the second.

Advertisement 7

Article content

On his second goal, Bemstrom was standing all by himself to the right of Habs goalie Samuel Montembeault.

Advertisement 8

Article content

The first Blue Jackets goal came on a beauty of a play with Johnny Gaudreau feathering a just-perfect pass to Jack Roslovic right in front of the net.

Advertisement 9

Article content

It was the first NHL game for 6-foot-5 240-pound Russian forward Dmitri Voronkov and he made his presence felt almost immediately, hitting Montreal defenceman Arber Xhekaj from behind in a dirty hit that led to The Sheriff getting into an intense fight with the Russian newcomer.

In the end, it was a character win for the Canadiens, who came back from a 3-1 deficit, clearly sparked by some choice words from St. Louis during the first intermission.

bkelly@postmedia.com

twitter.com/brendanshowbiz

Related Stories

  1. Stu Cowan: Gustav Lindström embraces fresh start with Canadiens

  2. Why do Canadiens players keep getting injured? | HI/O Show

Advertisement 10

Article content

Article content

Comments

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

Join the Conversation

    Advertisement 1

    This Week in Flyers

    Adblock test (Why?)



    Source link

    Continue Reading

    Sports

    French league’s legal board orders PSG to pay Kylian Mbappé 55 million euros of unpaid wages

    Published

     on

     

    The French league’s legal commission has ordered Paris Saint-Germain to pay Kylian Mbappé the 55 million euros ($61 million) in unpaid wages that he claims he’s entitled to, the league said Thursday.

    The league confirmed the decision to The Associated Press without more details, a day after the France superstar rejected a mediation offer by the commission in his dispute with his former club.

    PSG officials and Mbappé’s representatives met in Paris on Wednesday after Mbappé asked the commission to get involved. Mbappé joined Real Madrid this summer on a free transfer.

    ___

    AP soccer:

    The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

    Source link

    Continue Reading

    News

    Reggie Bush was at his LA-area home when 3 male suspects attempted to break in

    Published

     on

     

    LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former football star Reggie Bush was at his Encino home Tuesday night when three male suspects attempted to break in, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

    “Everyone is safe,” Bush said in a text message to the newspaper.

    The Los Angeles Police Dept. told the Times that a resident of the house reported hearing a window break and broken glass was found outside. Police said nothing was stolen and that three male suspects dressed in black were seen leaving the scene.

    Bush starred at Southern California and in the NFL. The former running back was reinstated as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner this year. He forfeited it in 2010 after USC was hit with sanctions partly related to Bush’s dealings with two aspiring sports marketers.

    ___

    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

    ___

    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and

    The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

    Source link

    Continue Reading

    Sports

    B.C. Lions lean on versatile offence to continue win streak against Toronto Argonauts

    Published

     on

     

    VANCOUVER – A fresh face has been gracing the B.C. Lions‘ highlight reels in recent weeks.

    Midway through his second CFL campaign, wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt has contributed touchdowns in two consecutive games.

    The 26-year-old wide receiver from Loveland, Colo., was the lone B.C. player to reel in a passing major in his team’s 37-23 victory over the league-leading Montreal Alouettes last Friday. The week before, he notched his first CFL touchdown in the Lions’ win over the Ottawa Redblacks.

    “It’s been awesome. It’s been really good,” Eberhardt said of his recent play. “At the end of the day, the biggest stat to me is if we win. But who doesn’t love scoring?”

    He’ll look to add to the tally Friday when the Leos (7-6) host the Toronto Argonauts.

    Eberhardt signed with B.C. as a free agent in January 2023 and spent much of last season on the practice squad before cementing a role on the roster this year.

    The six-foot-two, 195-pound University of Wyoming product has earned more opportunities in his second season, said Lions’ head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell.

    “He’s a super hard worker and very smart. He understands, has high football IQ, as we call it,” Campbell said.

    The fact that Eberhardt can play virtually every receiving position helps.

    “He could literally go into a game and we could throw him into a spot and he’d know exactly what he’s doing,” the coach said. “That allows him to play fast and earn the quarterback’s trust. And you see him making plays.”

    Eberhardt credited his teammates, coaches and the rest of the Lions’ staff with helping him prepare for any situation he might face. They’ve all spent time teaching him the ins and outs of the Canadian game, or go over the playbook and run routes after practice, he said.

    “I’ve played every single position on our offence in a game in the last two years, which is kind of crazy. But I love playing football,” he said. “I want to play any position that the team needs me to play.”

    While B.C.’s lineup is studded with stars like running back William Stanback — who has a CFL-high 938 rushing yards — and wide receiver Justin McInnis — who leads the league in both receiving yards (1,074) and receiving TDs (seven) — versatility has been a critical part of the team’s back-to-back wins.

    “I think we’ve got a lot of talented guys who deserve to get the ball and make big plays when they have the ball in their hands. So it’s really my job to get them the ball as much as possible,” said quarterback Nathan Rourke.

    “I think that makes it easy when you can lean on those guys and, really, we’re in a situation where anyone can have a big game. And I think that’s a good place to be.”

    Even with a talented lineup, the Lions face a tough test against an eager Argos side.

    Toronto lost its second straight game Saturday when it dropped a 41-27 decision to Ottawa.

    “We’ll have our hands full,” Rourke said. “We’ll have to adjust on the fly to whatever their game plan is. And no doubt, they’ll be ready to go so we’ll have to be as well.”

    The two sides have already met once this season when the Argos handed the Lions a 35-27 loss in Toronto back on June 9.

    A win on Friday would vault B.C. to the top of the West Division standings, over the 7-6 Winnipeg Blue Bombers who are on a bye week.

    Collecting that victory isn’t assured, though, even with Toronto coming in on a two-game skid, Campbell said.

    “They’ve hit a little bit of a rut, but they’re a really good team,” he said. “They’re very athletic. And you can really see (quarterback Chad Kelly’s) got zip on the ball. When you see him in there, he can make all the throws. So we’re expecting their best shot.”

    TORONTO ARGONAUTS (6-6) AT B.C. LIONS (7-6)

    Friday, B.C. Place

    HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Lions boast a 4-1 home record this season, including a 38-12 victory over the Redblacks at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C., on Aug. 31. The Argos have struggled outside of BMO Field and hold a 1-5 away record. Trips to the West Coast haven’t been easy for Toronto in recent years — since 2003, the club is 4-14 in road games against B.C.

    CENTURION: B.C. defensive back Garry Peters is set to appear in his 100th consecutive game. The 32-year-old from Conyers, Ga., is a two-time CFL all-star who has amassed 381 defensive tackles, 19 special teams tackles and 16 interceptions over seven seasons. “Just being on the field with the guys every day, running around, talking trash back and forth, it keeps me young,” Peters said. “It makes me feel good, and my body doesn’t really feel it. I’ve been blessed to be able to play 100 straight.”

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.

    Source link

    Continue Reading

    Trending

    Exit mobile version