It was a difficult start to the season from the NHL scheduling computer for the Montreal Canadiens.
Three games in four nights for the Canadiens with the hardest test being a back-to-back finish, a game at the Bell Centre and then travel to Boston to play the highly-favoured Bruins.
The Canadiens did look tired as they were dominated by the Bruins posting a 6-4 win.
Wilde Horses
Lane Hutson. On a night that the club overall was lit up, somehow Hutson had an 88 expected goals ratio after two periods. He was one of only two players over 50 with the other Kaiden Guhle. Mike Matheson was at a 10 expected goals ratio. It was that bad for the Habs, but somehow Hutson didn’t get exposed like the entire rest of the team.
Hutson also got two assists to lead the offence. He took the puck to the boards on the right half-wall to open up ice for Guhle to feed Cole Caufield for a goal. Hutson then was the player who won the zone on the power play when Joel Armia fed Brendan Gallagher for a tally. Two goals and on both, the conductor was the rookie.
The Canadiens added a third goal midway through the final frame. Guhle with a second straight strong game. He notched two assists as he, once again, threw it at the net in a fashion that forwards can impact the flight path. Josh Anderson with the deflection.
Anderson didn’t score on a goalie until mid-December last year, so that’s outstanding news for him. Anderson has also been strong killing penalties as his role in the NHL continues to change.
Brendan Gallagher also was strong scoring twice on the night. Gallagher ended up with the second best analytics numbers in the contest behind only Hutson.
It was a difficult night, but credit to the Canadiens for fighting until the end of the affair. They showed pride taking the game until the final whistle.
Wilde Goats
The weakness of the night is quite easy to communicate. All you have to do is look at the scoreline under the word Boston. Montreal had a horrific time defending. The big Bruins were able to win all of the puck battles.
The defensive coverage was extremely poor. The entire team got outmuscled easily. It wasn’t as if it was Lane Hutson too small, or Cole Caufield too small. It was all of the supposed stronger players not able to contain their checks.
The Bruins were in front of the crease standing strong, looking for deflections and screens all night.
Here’s the positive, though: It wasn’t as if the club was confused with schemes that Boston was doing, or the passing was just too good, or Montreal was too slow. It was Boston was simply good, old-fashioned more committed to the physical battle than Montreal.
The plan from Head Coach Martin St. Louis must be to preach the need to block out, preach the need for higher physicality — that it is a war out there to win. The young players have to learn that the war is painful, and it’s fought every single game.
Being overwhelmed by classically beautiful passing plays or superior skating skills would be worrisome, but Montreal wasn’t outmatched in the skill areas. They just didn’t battle.
This issue can be corrected. If it were Hutson who didn’t have the strength, that would be worrisome. He’s never going to weigh 230 and be six-foot-three, but when the big players on the blue line are getting outmuscled with their good size and strength, all that is needed is hungrier work.
However, the fifth goal was an example of a worrying error. Justin Barron was beaten to the outside and turnstiled by the Bruins attacker. It was just a basic hockey play — a box out. Barron couldn’t execute that basic moment, and it has to be said – it is worrisome.
It also didn’t help that Cayden Primeau seemed to be fighting the puck. You couldn’t actually suggest that any of the goals were soft, but he didn’t have the stillness that you see when a goalie is in the zone. His rebound control was a bit weak as well.
Also compounding the defending issues was the club doesn’t have a strong face-off man. Face-offs are often overrated. A centre losing a face-off in the neutral zone, or offensive zone, while sub-optimal, it is not a game changer. However, the Canadiens face-off men were abysmal in the defensive zone, and the Bruins benefitted with big pressure off those wins.
It was especially telling when Montreal did have a chance to clear and was unable to do it with any organization. They were trying to not just flail it up ice, but instead, find an outlet. They were unable to achieve that and it created even more pressure against.
It’s only game two, but the club needs to spend more time in the offensive zone. They’re better than this.
Wilde Cards
In the first Call of the Wilde, Kirby Dach was featured as the lynchpin of the club this season. His return to the lineup and ability to strengthen a weak second line could make a massive difference to the fortunes of the Canadiens in 2024-25.
After Dach, the second most important change to the roster is found on the blue line in Lane Hutson. That’s a lot to ask from a rookie who has only two NHL games last season. But if Montreal is to flirt with a playoff spot in March, they need an upside surprise.
That surprise is Hutson.
It seems that only the Canadiens and their fans have any hope for Hutson that he can be that guy. Elsewhere around the league, the experts all see a small kid with barely any muscles on his bones who was drafted 62 overall.
But if one just looks at the numbers and doesn’t attach the negative bias associated with size, Hutson has all the pedigree for an upside surprise.
He set records in both of his seasons at Boston University. He then quarterbacked the blue line for the USA World Junior team to win a gold medal. He led the Americans with 25 minutes of ice time per game. With the United States needing to hold a lead late, Hutson was on the ice protecting the lead. He wasn’t just an offensive weapon. He was also a stabilizing force on defence.
The Canadiens power play has languished for a decade without a replacement for Andrei Markov. They’ve never found that unique vision and ability to break down lanes since the Russian left at the end of his wonderful career.
Hutson has the ability to ruin defensive schemes. The first unit defenceman Mike Matheson is strong, but he is cut from the classic mould. He simply shoots from the point and distributes to players on the half-wall. Hutson leaves defenders in his wake creating even bigger odd-man situations.
If Hutson can lead the Canadiens out of a decades-long wilderness on the power play, he is also a lynchpin to the Canadiens success. He will be the first unit choice eventually.
If a club is going to move out of the malaise of 76 points, they don’t just need a better attitude or a little luck. They need better players. Those players are Dach and Hutson.
Should the two have strong seasons, they will drag the rest up the standings to perhaps even 90 points. In the following years, look for Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage to keep the train running. First stop on that long journey is at the corner of Dach and Hutson.
Climb aboard. Better days ahead.
Brian Wilde, a Montreal-based sports writer, brings you Call of the Wilde on globalnews.ca after each Canadiens game.