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<\/p>\nTwo weeks ago, the Montreal Canadiens put together a dominant performance in drubbing the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2. The Leafs vowed revenge Saturday night. With three straight wins, they believed they were playing far better hockey than what they showed at the Bell Centre.<\/p>\n
The Leafs were wrong as they were outplayed for most of it, but third-stringer Dennis Hildeby played over his head to force a shootout. In the shootout, Cole Caufield went roof, Alexandre Texier used a filthy one-handed deke, and Jakub Dobes stopped two of three shots as the Canadiens won 2-1.<\/p>\n
Wilde Horses\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Canadiens have the best power play in the entire league on the road. Since head coach Martin St. Louis went back to Ivan Demidov on the first unit, it has been on a roll. Demidov with Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson is a power play that could last a decade.<\/p>\n
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The game needed a goal and the Canadiens power play came through with it. It was Demidov in the high slot who made a pass so good that it had two chances with Slafkovsky and Caufield in its pathway. Slafkovsky missed, but Caufield didn\u2019t as he tapped in his 15th of the season.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a point in 10 straight games for Caufield. His record is 11 straight games. He can tie it Sunday night against the St. Louis Blues at the Bell Centre.<\/p>\n
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The Canadiens started to take over after the goal. They had two quick chances with Ivan Demidov and then a breakaway for Zach Bolduc. Dennis Hildeby was strong in the Toronto net. He\u2019s the third stringer for the Leafs, but his numbers are excellent, as was his work Saturday.<\/p>\n
Alexandre Texier had another strong game on the second line with Demidov and Oliver Kapanen. It\u2019s interesting because he didn\u2019t look all that good on the fourth line to start, but he is clearly a player who needs to be on the ice with some creative talent.<\/p>\n
Texier is stronger on the wall than expected. He wins most of his puck battles, and is ready with a good outlet when he does. It\u2019s difficult to imagine his future when everyone returns because he would be relegated to a bottom-six role, but, for now, he\u2019s a welcome addition to a team thin due to injuries.<\/p>\n
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Only one month ago, Slafkovsky didn\u2019t seem to have a plan when he got the puck. His processor simply wasn\u2019t moving fast enough for the NHL. He would get it, and then often do nothing as the opposition closed on him too quickly. He, also, made many passes without a plan.<\/p>\n
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In one of the fastest transformations ever seen, Slafkovsky is suddenly a player in complete command of the ice. He\u2019s making passes through four bodies across the ice. He has an awareness and vision that is second to none. He is winning pucks. He is leaning into checks with his hip. He\u2019s protecting pucks with his right knee while he pulls it to the left. He\u2019s gone from stoppable to unstoppable.<\/p>\n
In the third period, with the Canadiens up by one, Slafkovsky even made a massive defensive play working hard on the back check to break up a Leafs odd-man advantage.<\/p>\n
This is Slafkovsky\u2019s breakout moment. It\u2019s happening exactly when you would expect to for a young player. It\u2019s season four. When the player arrives in the NHL at 20, the breakout is likely season three, if it is going to happen. If the player enters the NHL at 18, it can take to season four. And here we are.<\/p>\n
Wilde Goats\u00a0<\/p>\n
With less than 10 minutes left in the game, leading by one, there\u2019s really only one thing that sticks out as unacceptable. It\u2019s to allow a breakaway shorthanded goal. That\u2019s exactly what the Canadiens did. It was a flawless night defensively until that moment. Montreal had allowed only 10 shots in two periods.<\/p>\n
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The Canadiens had the game completely in control, but this is what young teams will do. They don\u2019t have the experience to take it to the final buzzer properly. Being a veteran team means having the ability to massage a lead without any big errors.<\/p>\n
Veteran teams make sure that it\u2019s boring and congested. There are no odd-man rushes allowed, and the building is dead. No chances are taken offensively. Every rush sends the puck in deep so the other team has to travel 200 feet for a goal. Each player makes sure they are on the defensive side of the puck in a 50-50 battle.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not fun hockey. The challenge for a young player is to understand that his mindset has to change. He has to stop thinking about what brilliance he can create offensively, and start thinking about how to make sure nothing bad happens. It takes experience to become this player.<\/p>\n
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