The hottest team in the entire National Hockey League is the Edmonton Oilers. They entered their contest with the Montreal Canadiens riding an 11 game undefeated streak. However, the afternoon affair ran entirely against form with Montreal winning 6-2 in a shocker.
Wilde Horses
The Canadiens opened the scoring on a beautiful view of modern hockey at its finest. The rush for Montreal was led by defenders Jonathan Kovacevic and Jordan Harris. The three forwards were actually behind the defenders.
After the blueliners won the zone, it was up to the forwards to work the play down low, and they did perfectly, leading to Alex Belzile finally scoring his first NHL goal at age 31. What an outstanding moment for Belzile. His smile on the bench could be measured in amperes.
The Canadiens have a head coach for the modern game. In fact, it’s easy to see Martin St. Louis being a revolutionary in the coming years. It is conceivable there will be a day in the not-too-distant future when every player will be responsible for every action on the ice. Forwards will be asked to have the skill-set to defend a 2-on-1 and defencemen will need to be able to lead a rush and finish a play as if they were forwards. That’s a view of 2028 — when all players can do everything.
We are already on our way, and the glimpse we got on the Habs’ first goal was a joy to watch. Who knows what advancements are to come?
In the second period, the Canadiens continued to advance the defenders forward with good results. Connor McDavid was on for over two minutes, hemmed in his own zone on a shift centred by Kirby Dach. Eventually, it was Evgenii Dadonov to Jordan Harris from 15 feet to make it 2-0 Montreal.
In the third period, the defence was engaged in the rush again for yet another goal. It was Harris with his second as he took a pass from Joel Armia and scored from inside 10 feet.
In two days, the defence of the future has scored four goals: Harris twice, Mike Matheson the game winner Saturday, and Justin Barron the game-tying marker against the Islanders.
Engage the defence on offence and a team becomes a much more complex team to stop. Bring on Lane Hutson and Logan Mailloux to keep this train running toward a more exciting future.
The evolution of Kirby Dach’s game must be a beautiful sight for general manager Kent Hughes. Many thought the trade was a gamble at the time to acquire a player who had been a disappointment so far in his career.
This is how you build a club, though, by understanding that players with pedigree but given not much of a chance to shine yet at 21 years of age can still show why they were drafted third overall.
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Dach in the third period set up a shorthanded goal with some incredible hockey. He stole the puck from Evan Bouchard, rolled off him, then beat a second man, Evander Kane, with a deft feint, and found Christian Dvorak wide open to break the Oilers back. Dach with the nicest assist of the season for Montreal.
Dach is just getting started. Kent Hughes is just getting started. This is Hughes first master-stroke theft. Not only did Hughes acquire a player with massive upside who is now showing it. He also signed Dach to a team-friendly deal for four seasons.
Another chapter has been added to the improbable Rafael Harvey-Pinard story. Harvey-Pinard with a perfect deflection of a Mike Matheson point shot for his sixth goal in only nine games since his call-up from Laval. Harvey-Pinard has eight points as well. His high energy has revived the sluggish month of Nick Suzuki as well. The two with Josh Anderson is the Canadiens best line presently.
Harvey-Pinard will obviously slow down, but even if his production settles in at a much lower level than this, he deserves a serious shot to be on the roster when they break camp next September.
Production is production wherever it comes from. Just because it’s unexpected, doesn’t mean that player doesn’t deserve a chance to show that he can make it continue next year.
In a season lost in the standings, the Canadiens somehow have a lot of positive stories to tell.
Wilde Goats
This weekend was a difficult one for Team Tank. The Canadiens just aren’t bad enough to be in the top five at the draft. The Habs are full marks for their two wins this weekend. However, look at the positives, Team Tank. When Josh Anderson scored to make it 3-0, it hurt the tank, but helped the trade value of Anderson.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction in this unusual season. A lot of players who may be on the trading block, looked strong this weekend, led by Anderson who had his best weekend in a long time playing with Nick Suzuki and Rafael Harvey-Pinard.
Don’t lament the tank. Embrace the trade value. It’s all a matter of perspective.
There was one true goat-like moment in this one however. Arber Xhekaj suffered an injury in a fight he had in the second period. Xhekaj left the ice immediately and went to the dressing room pointing to his shoulder. That is usually a significant moment when a player is immediately aware that he has a significant problem.
Xhekaj levelled a solid right hand to the face of Vincent Desharnais and immediately dropped to the ice knowing he had suffered an injury to his shoulder. Xhekaj did not return for the third period.
Wilde Cards
Sean Farrell likely has only around 45 days to wait to suit up for the first time for the Montreal Canadiens.
General manager Kent Hughes confirmed this week that he will be signing the Harvard player to his entry-level contract as soon as his Crimson season ends.
What a season it has been for Farrell at the Ivy League school. Farrell is second in the nation in points-per-game, trailing only Adam Fantilli of Michigan.
That’s heady company for Farrell as Fantilli is expected to go second overall in the NHL draft next summer.
Farrell didn’t get picked until the fourth round because of his size, but lately it seems the Canadiens are drafting their best players because of other organizations’ fears over a player’s height.
The Canadiens best goal scorer this century in goals-per-game is small Cole Caufield. He fell to 15th overall only because he is 5’ 7”. If he were even 5’ 9”there’s absolutely no doubt he would have been top five.
The best hope on defence to be a future puck mover and quarterback on the power play, Lane Hutson, was also passed over until 62nd pick because of his slight frame.
Farrell is also small, but what he lacks in size he makes up for in brains as one of the smartest players not in the NHL today.
Whether Farrell can translate his game to the NHL is an open and complex question, but a five-point night against Dartmouth on Saturday paints a a beautiful picture. A remarkable 41 points in 24 games for second in the nation in points frames the beauty even more.
This season doesn’t have a Canadiens playoff race to get excited about. The chase for Caufield to become the first 40-goal scorer this century is also gone due to shoulder surgery.
However, there are still exciting moments to come. Farrell’s first NHL game after he is eliminated from the NCAA playoffs is certainly one of them. Farrell may get in a half dozen NHL games depending on how far Harvard advances in the Frozen Four.
If Harvard’s season ends at the Round-Of-16 phase on March 26th, then Farrelll could get in about eight games for Montreal. If Harvard shocks and advances to the Frozen Four ending April 8th, Farrell may get only two games.
The Canadiens also may have two of the three finalists for the Hobey Baker award with Farrell joining Hutson and Fantilli.
There’s plenty of season left, but at the present pace, those three along with Luke Hughes of Michigan would be the four favourites for the final three nominations.
Some days look grim for Habs fans, but if people can just take a peak at the prospects of the future, there are many reasons to be excited.
Brian Wilde, a Montreal-based sports writer, brings you Call of the Wilde on globalnews.ca after each Canadiens game.
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