The Montreal Canadiens hosted Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night, aiming to win their first game in regulation of the season.
Bedard played well but it was not enough, as the Habs won 3-2 thanks to goals from Cole Caufield, Tanner Pearson, and Sean Monahan.
The Canadiens were just a moment away from having the distinction of being the first team in the NHL to keep Bedard off the scoresheet, but he registered a secondary assist very late in the third period.
Let’s dive right into the highlights.
The Cole Train
This may shock you, but Cole Caufield scored again.
But it wasn’t just your standard Caufield snipe.
Thanks to a fantastic zone entry and pass by Josh Anderson, Caufield had enough time to deke the pants off Kevin Korchinski before putting a great backhand shot on net.
He followed it up by batting the puck out of mid-air to ensure he registered his second goal of the season.
It’s probably too early to say Caufield will score 50 goals this season, but statistically speaking, he’s on pace for 82.
I say he does it.
Speaking of Caufield and Anderson, you have to love seeing the former come to the defence of the latter after Alex Vlasic took a penalty early in the first period.
Hello Darkness My Old Friend
There was some unfortunate news on Saturday night, as Canadiens forward Kirby Dach was hit awkwardly into the Blackhawks bench by former Hab Jarred Tinordi.
Dach seemed fine initially, but once he attempted to put pressure on his right leg it was clear that he needed to head to the locker room for repairs. The Canadiens announced Dach would not return to play during the first intermission.
We will have to wait and see if it’s serious, but losing a player of Dach’s ilk would be a significant blow to the strength of their lineup.
Redemption Line
The Canadiens’ third line had a much better outing than their previous game, thanks to a renewed sense of urgency from Brendan Gallagher, Sean Monahan, and Tanner Pearson.
It paid off in the second period when Pearson scored his first goal in the NHL since October 28, 2022.
Pearson underwent a series of surgeries on his hand when he was playing for the Vancouver Canucks, and had to deal with several post-surgery complications. It’s probably the most frustrating situation for a professional athlete, which explains why Pearson was so excited to score for the team that gave him a chance to find his game.
A stick tap goes out to Kaiden Guhle for setting up the play with a great controlled entry.
Real Hard (Working) Player
Rafael Harvey-Pinard started the game by quickly creating two individual high-danger scoring chances, a good indication that he’s about to have one of those dominant games.
His work on the penalty kill, in particular, was exemplary.
He probably created as many scoring chances while shorthanded as the Blackhawks did with the man advantage, including a great play in the second period that led to a breakaway.
Harvey-Pinard followed it up with a perfect play that led to Sean Monahan’s goal. It was just a quick pass, but it goes to show that he possesses a significant amount of anticipation and situational awareness whenever he’s on the ice.
Most players would have just shuffled the puck down the ice and then headed to the bench for a line change.
Xhekaj Corner
Arber Xhekaj didn’t bully anyone like when he pushed around Ryan Reaves against the Maple Leafs, but he did get involved in a rather entertaining play with a predictable dance partner: Corey Perry.
Either Xhekaj is the strongest player in the world, or Perry added a little mustard to his final flourish.
The Montreal Canadiens are back in action on Tuesday. They will face the Minnesota Wild at the Bell Centre. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted. Via NaturalStatTrick.
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