After the Montreal Canadiens pummelled the Ottawa Senators physically in a pre-season game, the Senators immediately made a trade to get tougher, acquiring Kurtis MacDermid. MacDermid is not an NHL level player. He was acquired to send a message that the Senators would not back down.
The first test to that theory was at the Bell Centre on Saturday night as a strong rivalry starts to build between the clubs, which are only two hours apart on Highway 40. The Canadiens needed a late goal to tie it, then won it 4-3 moving their overtime record to a perfect five-for-five.
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Throughout this century, when the Canadiens found themselves in a dirty game, or a game of intimidation, they finished second. There were two line brawls where Montreal was pummelled. In the playoffs, against Ottawa, the Sens beat up the Canadiens. In the regular season, in Boston, all the Montreal players were beat up except Carey Price, who stopped laying haymakers on Tim Thomas when he felt sorry for him.
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It was one of the difficulties that the Canadiens had over the years — they were never big enough. If they allow fighting in hockey, then who wins the fights is going to matter. No smaller player wants to watch all of his mates get beat up. The Canadiens have important small players. They need protection, or at least to feel someone has their back.
Finally, this is the rebuild that gives Montreal some size and physicality that scares the opposition. Arber Xhekaj is one of the toughest players in the league. He is a tremendous fighter, but the bonus is that he can also play hockey, unlike other Montreal attempts to be tough, like acquiring George Parros.
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Early in last night’s game, Zach Bolduc laid out a massive, clean hit that sent Jake Sanderson over the boards and into the Canadiens bench. It led to a fight with a revenge-seeking MacDermid. What MacDermid got instead was an instigator penalty that the Canadiens scored on.
When Juraj Slafkovsky took a cross-crease pass from Nick Suzuki to make it 2-0, the Canadiens were five for their last seven on the power play. That’s the second weapon to combat intimidation — get a hockey result.
It was the second point for Suzuki after he earlier sent Cole Caufield on a breakaway from centre. He just squeezed it over the line for his 10th goal of the season. That’s tied for the league lead. The Canadiens dominated the opening 20. They scored twice and handled the nastiness of the night well. Everyone grew a couple inches in the first period.
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Second period saw a positive trend continue for Kirby Dach. He’s starting to drive to the net hard with the puck with a defender on him. This is a strong indicator that Dach is feeling confident that his ACL can handle the energy output needed on that drive. Dach is starting to look like pre-injuries Dach at times. This could be a huge development.
In the third period, Nick Cousins finally answered for the slash on Ivan Demidov’s arm in pre-season. It was Jayden Struble who got the opportunity to get even. And he did, connecting on a punch that dropped Cousins. Struble tried to pick him back up for more but, to his credit, he didn’t throw another punch.
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It was looking grim late, but talent often prevails, and that’s what’s different for the Canadiens right now. The talent is coming through in huge moments. With just over two minutes left, it was Lane Hutson with the pass to Demidov, who fired it home with a one-timer.
The game went to overtime where the Canadiens made it five straight wins in the extra five minutes. It was Alex Newhook on the breakaway. You could hear the shot Newhook took go bar down in every seat in the Bell Centre. The ping was powerful; the shot, too. The sold-out crowd exploded. The Canadiens won again.
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The Canadiens were in excellent shape in the contest. More than half a game had been played and the Senators had only six shots. The Canadiens didn’t need any saves on high-danger chances. They were cutting those down completely.
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They did need a save on a shot from behind the net though by Drake Batherson. At the side of the goal, towards the corner, Batherson tried a prayer. It was answered when Samuel Montembeault left the near post. It’s a basic goalie moment: Track the puck and take away the short side because it’s the only side that the puck can enter the net.
It was the moment that Ottawa got back into the game.
The Canadiens missed their chances to win it without drama. Bolduc had a breakaway that he missed the net. Lane Hutson had a penalty shot and he let a weak shot go trying for five-hole that was easily stopped.
That allowed the Senators to tie it on a reversed goalie interference call. It was another weird goal against Montembeault, banking off Mike Matheson’s skate and back toward goal. Montembeault can’t get a break these days — and he’s not earning any either.
In the third period, Montembeault’s positioning on the third goal was a mystery. Tim Stutzle led a two-on-one. Montembeault gave Stutzle the entire net. Stutzle started on the right side, and he stayed on the right side. Montembeault started in the middle and he stayed in the middle. He didn’t square to Stutzle at all. He didn’t move to the shooter in the slightest. It was odd.
All three goals were not good goals against Montembeault. It’s another three goals on only 17 shots. Montembeault’s .840 save percentage seems an appropriate number right now. He’s been a .900 goalie in his career, so there will be patience.
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It’s remarkable how well the rebuild of the Canadiens is progressing. Montreal is already near the top of the league standings, yet they also have top quality talent arriving soon, more than most NHL clubs.
Michael Hage has been well promoted recently with his almost two points per game pace. Jacob Fowler is well known for his pedigree in net. The fifth pick overall David Reinbacher is back healthy with Laval after a wrist injury. He is only a little seasoning away from becoming an NHLer because of his ability to process the game.
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However, not much focus has been given to an obvious major steal in the last NHL draft. Canadians management and scouting recognized that it was early second round and one of their favourites still hadn’t been taken. They used their draft capital to trade two lower picks for one higher pick to get Alexander Zharovsky who they viewed as a certain first rounder.
They were right.
Zharovsky is on fire in the KHL in Russia. His progress this season is phenomenal. He has almost the same profile as Ivan Demidov. In fact, he’s threatening to break Demidov’s rookie records set last year.
Demidov had 49 points in 65 games last season to claim the highest rookie point total in that league’s history. Zharovsky has 14 points in 13 games. At his present pace, he would blow away the Demidov record. Zharovsky has five points in his last two games.
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He also has a similar talent profile to Demidov. He can do magical things in tight spaces. He has a creative stick and a creative mind. He isn’t afraid to take it to the net. He actually may have a better shot than Demidov.
Zharovsky is bigger at 6’ 1”. He needs to fill out at only 165 pounds. This is not an obstacle, but a natural progression when becoming an adult. The fear of an 18-year-old being slight is overblown. Hit the gym. Let nature take its course, as well. His physical profile will be excellent at age 20.
Hiring Nick Bobrov as head scout has been a boon for the Canadiens organization for finding these Russian players, believing in them, and knowing which ones carry the right attitude through the process and which ones don’t. They passed on Matvei Michkov. They believe in the passage of time that you will know why.
The shock right now that Demidov made it to fifth overall may be superseded by the bigger shock that Zharovsky made it to 34th overall. Both are projecting to be top-six forwards.
The Canadiens youngest roster in the league could be four talented players stronger in two years while having almost no one age out. There’s cap space, too. The future truly is bright.
5:11
Call of the Wilde: The Canadiens on the road
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Brian Wilde, a Montreal-based sports writer, brings you Call of the Wilde on globalnews.ca after each Canadiens game.
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Call of the Wilde: Canadiens season begins
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