The Montreal Canadiens got exactly the response they needed Thursday night, and a couple of familiar faces made sure of it. Following Tuesday's humiliating collapse against the Winnipeg Jets, Nick Suzuki returned to the lineup, Kirby Dach also came back, and the Canadiens found a way to defeat the Utah Mammoth 5-4 in overtime at the Bell Centre. Cole Caufield played hero, Adam Engström scored his first NHL goal, and Logan Cooley gave Montreal's penalty killers another reason to lose sleep. The Canadiens improved to 10-3-3, winning six of their last seven games. Grab a coffee. We've got plenty to discuss.
☕ The Captain Is Back: Funny how much difference one player can make. Suzuki didn't waste any time reminding everyone why he's the captain, opening the scoring for Montreal with a beautiful finish off a feed from Juraj Slafkovsky. He finished the night with a goal, two assists, a plus-2 differential and four shots in 20:04 of ice time. Not bad for someone who had been watching from the press box for six games. Welcome back, Captain! A well deserved first star!
☕ Dach Is Back Too: Kirby Dach also returned to the lineup and made his presence felt, scoring a goal and adding an assist while finishing with a plus-2 rating in just 11:28 of ice time. Sometimes, the best way to answer questions about your value is to get back on the ice and contribute. Now, let's hope he can stay there.
☕ Slafkovsky Was a Handful: Sometimes, statistics don't tell the whole story. Juraj Slafkovsky only has one assist to show for his efforts, but this was arguably one of his best performances of the season. Four shots, another one off the post, two hits and a constant threat whenever he had the puck. He was controlling play, creating opportunities and looking like a man who had finally found the remote control for his big frame. More of this, please.
☕ Caufield, The Overtime Specialist: Who else would you rather have with the game on the line in overtime? Cole Caufield needed just 30 seconds to send the Mammoth packing. He faked the slap shot, froze Sebastian Cossa and sniped one where grandma keeps the cookie jar. Sweet! Caufield has made a habit of delivering in overtime, and his ability to create something out of seemingly nothing is becoming a rather expensive problem for opposing goaltenders. Six shots on the night, including the one that mattered most.
☕ The Sheriff Has Something to Say: After two days of uncalled criticism, Arber Xhekaj answered the way the Sheriff knows best. He tied the game at two with a booming slapshot less than two minutes after Suzuki had cut Utah's lead in half. But he wasn't done entertaining the crowd. At puck drop, he got into a spirited fight with Liam O'Brien, keeping the Bell Centre faithful on their feet with an ovation. Sometimes, a little old-fashioned law enforcement is good for business.
☕ A First NHL Goal to Remember: Adam Engström had a rather difficult night, but he'll remember it for the rest of his life. At 14:54 of the third period, he scored his first NHL goal, tying the game and sending it to overtime. We also saw a few reminders of why playing a defenseman on his wrong side isn't ideal. He got beaten on the outside on a few occasions, something that opposing teams with speed will happily exploit. Still, that first goal is something nobody can take away from him.
☕ Hutson and Sergachev, Old Friends: Lane Hutson once again led the Canadiens in ice time, playing exactly 27:00 minutes. Only former Canadiens defenseman Mikhail Sergachev spent more time on the ice, at 27:31. Sometimes, looking at what got away is enough to add bitterness to a perfectly good cup of coffee.
☕ The Penalty Kill Is Becoming a Problem: Three power-play goals against. Five shorthanded situations. That's simply not good enough. In fact, the Canadiens were the better team at even strength, but their penalty killing continues to undermine their efforts. They've allowed opponents to capitalize far too regularly lately. You can't expect to win consistently when your penalty kill is handing out goals like Halloween candy. Time to find a solution.
☕ The Men in Stripes Need a New Hobby: The officiating was pretty much on par with what we've come to expect, with several very questionable calls on both sides. At times, it looked as though the officials were making things up as they went along. Perhaps they should replace their whistles with golf clubs and hit the links in Florida instead. Yes, it was that bad.
☕ Generosity Is Not Always a Virtue: The Canadiens dominated the shot count, 35-20, but they also handed Utah 19 giveaways. That's a lot of free gifts for a team that wasn't exactly on Santa's nice list. Montreal created plenty of opportunities, but giving the puck away that often is an invitation for trouble. Fortunately, the Mammoth didn't take full advantage of every present.
☕ A Question for Kent Hughes: Owen Beck and Florian Xhekaj were healthy scratches, and many observers felt neither deserved to be sitting. Roster decisions are never easy, particularly when a team has several young players fighting for opportunities. But if players are doing what is expected of them, what message does it send when they're sitting in the press box? That's something Kent Hughes and the coaching staff should address.
☕ Next Stop: Toronto. The Canadiens make the short trip to Toronto on Saturday for another instalment of the Original Six rivalry. The Maple Leafs have lost three of their last four games, with their only victory coming against Vancouver last Saturday. Montreal will have an opportunity to build on Thursday's comeback, but the Leafs will be looking to get back on track. Saturday night hockey. Mr. Saturday Night. Josh Anderson playing against the Leafs. A little rivalry. A little animosity. What's not to like?
Bottom Line: The Canadiens needed a response after Tuesday's disaster, and they got one. Suzuki's return was a shot of espresso, Dach added another, Slafkovsky was buzzing, and Caufield provided the finishing touch. However, the penalty kill remains a bitter aftertaste, and the giveaways aren't helping either. Enjoy the victory, but don't confuse a good cup of coffee with a perfect brew. There's still some work to do.
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