The Montreal Canadiens scored three unanswered goals in the third period to beat the San Jose Sharks 3-1 in California on Tuesday night.
It was the first of a four-game road trip, but both clubs were more in the headlines for potential trades than the game results.
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It was the first game for the newest Montreal Canadiens player, Denis Gurianov. He came over in a deal that saw Evgenii Dadonov head to Dallas.
From the first shift, it is clear why scouts and general managers love this player. He looks like the prototype NHLer. He plays big. He is strong on his skates. He skates well. He has an imposing figure.
He oozes what everyone wanted Jesperi Kotkaniemi to eventually look like when he was drafted. Sadly, Kotkaniemi never filled out, and he never cut a figure like Gurianov does.
However, to look like a classic NHL player doesn’t mean one is an NHL player. You have to have game too. And Gurianov did on night one. On his first shift, he got the Canadiens first scoring chance of the game.
Second period, Gurianov used his speed and power to earn a breakaway opportunity, but he was stopped on his shot. It was another excellent moment for the 210-pound winger.
Five minutes later, it was Gurianov who had yet another chance. He was tight to the goalie and was unable to convert for a third time in the contest. Yet when chances come, eventually goals come too. Still in the second period, there was a fourth solid chance as Gurianov one-timed a shot from the right face-off circle.
He’s going to feel very good about himself playing this well. It’s something to build on.
Third period, Gurianov flew down the left side and let another big shot go. He seriously was the best player for the Canadiens. Remarkable.
Gurianov lined up with Nick Suzuki and Mike Hoffman as head coach Martin St. Louis altered his lines after the trade. Playing with Suzuki gives a player a real chance to shine, and Gurianov certainly did.
Gurianov was a high draft pick in the first round in 2015, and he did play some amazing hockey when the Dallas Stars went to the finals in the COVID-19 bubble in Edmonton. His acquisition was an outstanding trade for GM Kent Hughes, considering the deal has no downside.
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If Gurianov doesn’t work out, then the Canadiens don’t have to give him a qualifying offer. If he does, they have added another piece to the puzzle in the rebuild. Dadonov wasn’t going to be a part of the future. Gurianov could be a part of it.
The way he played on night one, it certainly looks like he will be a part of the future. Now, it’s time to consolidate that effort.
The Canadiens were trailing the contest throughout, then finally tied it with under 12 minutes remaining in the third. It was the first game back for Kaiden Guhle, and he was solid. He made an immediate impact with the 1-1 marker.
It was another night when the blue liners joined the rush on a regular basis. St. Louis likes the defence to engage, and they are with great success suddenly scoring a higher percentage of the team’s goals.
Two minutes later, the Canadiens gained the lead. It was a terrific play by Rem Pitlick to fake that he was going to shoot. He then fed it over to Jesse Ylonen who had a wide open net for a 2-1 lead. It was a gorgeous goal by the Canadiens. A Christian Dvorak empty netter made it a 3-1 final.
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Justin Barron has been one of the bright spots in the line-up in the second half of the season. His game has improved tremendously as it is clear that he has a bright NHL career in front of him. However, every now and then, Barron is unable to slow the game down in his head fast enough.
There are moments when he feels rushed and makes mistakes. On the first goal for San Jose, it was one of those rushed moments when Barron gave the puck away in a dangerous spot beside his own net.
Being rushed happens to all defenders, of course, but veterans know how to assess their options better: they flip it high into the neutral zone to relieve pressure, or they push it into a safe location in the corner behind the net.
It’s all about choices when there is pressure as a defenceman. Barron is getting it. He is making this type of mistake less and less, and there is every reason to believe that he will figure it out.
This scenario is what this season is all about. It’s almost a luxury to be in a non-pressure environment like this in the standings and at the same time, breaking in five rookie blueliners. The Canadiens are letting the rookies play, make mistakes and learn from them, so they can be better next season.
Not a worry. On the contrary, it’s advantageous to have so many rookies learning while attaining a high draft pick in 2022-23.
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There was some disappointment for the Canadiens on Tuesday. Joel Edmundson was still not available to play. The trading deadline is on Friday and Edmundson has only one more chance to join the club for a game in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Edmundson skated with the club for practice before the Sharks contest and there was hope that he would finally return. However, when Edmundson skated for a half hour after the rest of the players had left, it was clear that he still was not ready.
That’s an entire month of being day-to-day that Edmundson has been out with an upper-body injury. The presumption is that it is his back again, though there is no team confirmation of this.
It’s looking like only one player is available for the Canadiens to acquire a third first-round pick as general manager Kent Hughes indicated that he wanted. Sean Monahan is not available for a trade seemingly as he remains on the sideline.
It is up to Josh Anderson to fetch the price that Hughes wants to make the move. It has been reported widely that Hughes turned down a first-round draft choice for Anderson, saying that he wanted more for the winger.
Logically, Anderson is not likely at the same skill level that he is now when the Canadiens are finally competitive again. However, with a long-term contract, Anderson could have the same value next season in a trade as this season, so there is no hurry to make the move either.
Hughes has shown a great talent to get ultimate value so far in his tenure as GM, so he’s earned a lot of respect and patience from the media and fan base.
Let’s see what Friday at 3 p.m. ET brings, but the options are getting more limited by the day for the Canadiens to get that third first-round pick.
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