There were back to back games for both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens on New Year’s Eve. Montreal is only four points back of Tampa in the division, yet predictions from experts are for Tampa to fight for a playoff spot and Montreal to finish bottom five in the league.
Montreal continued its seven game road trip with a strong start in the contest, but a weak finish, as the Lightning counted four straight after spotting the Canadiens two. The final was 4-3 Tampa Bay.
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This contest featured one of the weirdest goals in the history of the game. Midway through the second period, Sam Montembeault made an easy save. He took it out of his pads and fed it to Jonathan Kovacevic.
The music started playing at the Amalie Arena in Tampa. All of the Lightning players took a leisurely stroll around the ice. Some headed to the bench. Some looked around aimlessly. The goalie Jonas Johansson went for a skate into the corner. They all thought the play was dead.
Montembeault told Kovacevic that he should shoot it because he believed the play was still going. Kovacevic shot it. The shot was perfect from 175 feet into an empty net. The Canadiens were up by two. They were celebrating, but they weren’t sure either if it was a goal.
The referees skated to their headphones at the penalty bench to ask each other whether they blew their whistles. Sure enough, they did not. There was no whistle. The goal stood. Fans were furious in Tampa. The Lightning were furious, but also a bit sheepish that they completely stopped playing. Fans can watch ice hockey another 50 years, and they may not see a goal like that ever again.
The other goal, this one from Cole Caufield, was more conventional. That’s two in two games and 10 on the season. It was a great goal as he stole the puck in front of the Tampa net from Steve Stamkos and quickly fired it five-hole.
Caufield and Suzuki are the only two to hit a very modest double digits in goals at the halfway point of the season. It’s not much of a goal total for Caufield, and everyone, including himself, had higher expectations, but it does seem as if he is coming around.
Suzuki counted from a difficult angle with two minutes left in the contest with the goalie pulled to make it 4-3. It was a terrific finish from Suzuki who went down on one knee to get under it from just in front of the goal line in the corner of the rink.
The union of Suzuki and Caufield with Juraj Slafkovsky is the only high point for the forwards this season. Montreal is tied for the lead in goals among defenders, and second last in forward goals. This team needs to find some scoring forwards. The team leader is on pace for 24.
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Credit the Canadiens for staying in the fight almost every single contest no matter how injury riddled they are. At the moment, all the injuries are happening at the same position. Add to that, this position is vital.
Christian Dvorak became another centre to leave the line-up when he was injured in Sunrise, Florida. There is no word on the severity of the upper-body injury, but the medical staff reports that more tests are required and Dvorak may be out for an extended spell.
The Canadiens have already suffered significant injuries up front. Kirby Dach is gone for the season and Alex Newhook is out for four months. They didn’t even start the season with Dvorak. He got 25 games in, and now has suffered another injury. Ironically, injury prone Sean Monahan has been healthy the entire season with his new hips working nicely.
The club went with Nick Suzuki, Monahan, Jake Evans and Mitchell Stevens as their centres in Tampa. They dressed only 11 forwards as they had no one available in reserve. This is mostly due to the time constraints trying to get a replacement from Laval to Florida quickly.
It’s woefully thin down the middle, yet somehow, the Canadiens keep winning a higher share of games than expected. Usually, the larger percentage of injuries are suffered by defenders who block shots more, and have to go to the boards first on an attacking dump-ins. Montreal has depth at defence, but does not at centre, so this is a difficult time.
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The calm efficiency of Jayden Struble is simply too good for a demotion to the minors. The Canadiens have an issue that they probably just presumed they wouldn’t have to deal with, but just wait for the next injury or two to strike.
With Struble’s stunningly good defence, the return of David Savard and Jordan Harris from injury, general manager Kent Hughes has a difficult decision to make soon. He has to find a way to play all of his defenders who belong in the NHL.
Arber Xhekaj remains in the American Hockey League, but his toughness is missed as the Canadiens look to Michael Pezzetta to answer to the intimidation that is a natural component of any NHL game. Pezzetta is a gamer, but he doesn’t exactly strike fear into the players who are trying to intimidate small Canadiens forwards. Xhekaj commands respect every time he simply stares at someone.
The Canadiens bought a little time, but it feels like time is up. Xhekaj needs to return to provide his unique toughness. Jonathan Kovacevic has NHL experience and he can’t be sent to the minors without a trip through the waiver wire that he will not pass.
That leaves Justin Barron as a possible defender to be sent back down, but the way he is playing, this is highly unlikely. This is a situation where eight, nine, or 10 does not fit into six. In March, Lane Hutson will be another who needs ice time. Logan Mailloux should expect a look at some point as well. Gustav Lindstrom is also around, as is Mattias Norlinder. Next year, welcome David Reinbacher.
This good problem to have needs a good solution for a better future. Hughes will have to decide at some point which defenders to move on from to get some forwards. It will be difficult though. None of these defenders is going to fetch a return as if they are top-pair. That means top-six players aren’t likely coming back.
It will be interesting to see how Hughes maximizes this strength. It would be better, if some of the young ones truly stood out as top pair, then he can work more easily from there. However, one night Guhle looks first pair, then the next night it is Barron who does, and Struble always looks steady. It’s all quite the mystery who might expand their ceiling in the coming years.
Decisions on the blue line have to happen fairly soon because these players are maturing and ready, and they’re not going to accept waiting around for much longer.
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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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