After not having games for over two weeks, the Montreal Canadiens got back to work with a three game slate this week.
As usual, I’ll break down the games, stats, what needs to be focused on going into the next contest, and some brief news and notes around Montreal Canadiens hockey.
Now, onto the games…
Tuesday, December 28th, 2021: Montreal Canadiens at Tampa Bay Lightning
TXHT Game Recap: In Tampa Bay, hockey would make it’s return as the Lightning would play host to the Montreal Canadiens. In the first period Lukas Vejdemo would score for the Habs to take the 1-0 lead, but a pair of goals from Brayden Point would give the Bolts the 2-1 lead. In the second period Rafael Harvey-Pinard would score for the Habs to tie the game at two, but Ross Colton would score to retake the lead for the Bolts. Then in the third period Kale Clague would strike for the Habs to tie the game at three, and David Savard would score his first as a Hab to take a 4-3 lead, but Corey Perry would score to tie the game at four and then in overtime Ondrej Palat would score to give the Lightning the 5-4 victory over the Canadiens.
Period by Period Summary:
1st Period:
TB Penalty: Gabriel Fortier for Slashing – 2 min minor – 8:24
MTL Goal: Lucas Vejdemo (2) – Michael Pezzetta (2) and Cedric Paquette (1) – 10:46
TB Goal: Brayden Point (8) – Mathieu Joseph (6) and Victor Hedman (25) – 11:38
TB Goal: Brayden Point (9) – Alex Killorn (17) – 14:10
2nd Period:
MTL Goal: Rafael Harvey-Pinard (1) – Assisted by Sami Niku (4) and Corey Schueneman (1) – 2:05
MTL Penalty: Brendan Gallagher for Hooking – 2 min minor – 3:53
MTL Penalty: Delay of Game – Served by Brendan Gallagher – 2 min minor – 6:09
TB Goal: Ross Colton (3) – Assisted by Steven Stamkos (22) and Corey Perry (7) – 8:11
TB Penalty: Riley Nash for Tripping – 2 min minor – 8:54
TB Penalty: Boris Katchouk for Interference – 2 min minor – 12:14
MTL Penalty: Michael Pezzetta for Hi-sticking 4 min double minor – 15:18
TB Penalty: Gabriel Fortier for Tripping – 2 min minor – 19:49
3rd Period:
MTL Goal: Kale Clague (1) – Assisted by Cole Caufield (6) and Ryan Poehling (2) – 6:11
MTL Goal: David Savard (1) – Unassisted – 13:09
TB Goal: Corey Perry (7) – Assisted by Brayden Point (7) and Steven Stamkos (23) – 19:40
Overtime:
TB Goal: Ondrej Palat (10) – Victor Hedman (26)- :36
Period by Period Statistical Breakdown
1st Period
| Montreal – 1 | Tampa Bay – 2 | |
| Faceoffs | 13 | 9 |
| Power Play | 0/1 | 0/0 |
| Shots | 9 | 10 |
| Hits | 13 | 16 |
2nd Period
| Montreal – 2 | Tampa Bay – 3 | |
| Faceoffs | 22 | 22 |
| Power Play | 0/4* 1:49 left on PP | 0/4 |
| Shots | 19 | 27 |
| Hits | 23 | 25 |
3rd Period
| Montreal – 4 | Tampa Bay – 4 | |
| Faceoffs | 32 | 34 |
| Power Play | 0/4 | 0/4 |
| Shots | 31 | 35 |
| Hits | 34 | 36 |
Overtime
| Montreal – 4 | Tampa Bay – 5 | |
| Faceoffs | 33 | 35 |
| Power Play | 0/4 | 0/4 |
| Shots | 31 | 37 |
| Hits | 34 | 36 |
What Needs to Be Worked On Going Into Next Game: Closing out the contest. After getting the lead late into the third period, the Habs couldn’t close the game out. Playing strong defence in the last few minutes of the contest with a lead can and will lead to better things for the Habs.
Next Game: Thursday, December 30th at Carolina Hurricanes
Thursday, December 30th, 2021: Montreal Canadiens at Carolina Hurricanes
TXHT Game Recap: In Carolina, the Canadiens look to stop the Storm Surge and get the win over the Hurricanes. In the first period, Nino Niederreiter gets his ninth of the year followed by Teuvo Teravainen getting his eighth of the year as the Hurricanes make this a 2-0 lead. In the second, Teravainen gets his second of the night as Carolina takes the 3-0 lead. In the third, Seth Jarvis scores his fifth as the Canes get the 4-0 shutout win over the Habs.
Period by Period Summary:
1st Period:
MTL Penalty: Alex Belzile for Hooking – 2 min minor – 9:12
CAR PP Goal: Nino Niederreiter (9) – Assisted by Jesperi Kotkaniemi (7) and Jaccob Slavin (15) – 10:46
CAR Penalty: Brady Skjei for Holding – 2 min minor – 12:37
CAR SH Goal: Teuvo Teravainen (8) – Assisted by Sebastian Aho (18) and Jaccob Slavin (16) – 13:29
CAR Penalty: Vincent Trocheck for Holding – 2 min minor – 16:40
CAR Penalty: Vincent Trocheck for Tripping – 2 min minor – 19:06
2nd Period:
MTL Penalty: Jesse Ylonen for Interference – 2 min minor – 1:19
MTL Penalty: Brett Kulak for Slashing – 2 min minor – 9:06
CAR Penalty: Ian Cole for Cross-checking – 2 min minor – 13:54
MTL Penalty: Jake Evans for Hooking – 2 min minor – 15:24
CAR PP Goal: Teuvo Teravainen (9) – Assisted by Martin Necas (11) and Sebastian Aho (19) – 17:01
3rd Period:
MTL Penalty: Michael Pezzetta for Interference – 2 min minor – 10:35
CAR PP Goal: Seth Jarvis (5) – Assisted by Andrei Svechnikov (13) and Jaccob Slavin (17) – 10:52
CAR Penalty: Tony DeAngelo for Holding – 2 min minor – 15:45
Period by Period Statistical Breakdown
1st Period
| Montreal – 0 | Carolina – 2 | |
| Faceoffs | 4 | 17 |
| Power Play | 0/3* 1:54 left on PP | 0/1 |
| Shots | 9 | 10 |
| Hits | 15 | 12 |
2nd Period
| Montreal – 0 | Carolina – 3 | |
| Faceoffs | 9 | 30 |
| Power Play | 0/4* 1:49 left on PP | 0/4 |
| Shots | 18 | 26 |
| Hits | 24 | 20 |
3rd Period
| Montreal – 0 | Carolina – 4 | |
| Faceoffs | 17 | 43 |
| Power Play | 0/5 | 3/5 |
| Shots | 26 | 38 |
| Hits | 42 | 25 |
What Needs to Be Worked On Going Into Next Game: Stay out of the penalty box and take better chances on the extra man advantage. Montreal also has to do a better job at the faceoff dots. Faceoffs have been a major struggle for Montreal all season and it continued to get worse in this contest.
Next Game: Saturday, January 1st, 2022 at Florida Panthers
Saturday, January 1st, 2022: Montreal Canadiens at Florida Panthers
TXHT Game Recap: In Florida, the Habs face off against the Panthers to open up 2022. In the first period, Florida gets out to the 1-0 lead when Sam Bennett scores his 10th of year but then Montreal evens it up when Jonathan Drouin strikes for his sixth of the year. In the second, Montreal takes the lead when Nick Suzuki gets his seventh of the year but Florida ties it up 2-2 when Aleksander Barkov gets his 12th goal on the power play. Florida then takes the lead for good when Frank Vatrano finds the net for his eighth on the year. In the third, Florida gets a pair of goals when Sam Bennett scores his second of the game and Mason Marchment nets his second of the year as the Panthers down the Habs 5-2.
Period by Period Summary:
1st Period:
FLA Goal: Sam Bennett (10) – Assisted by Anthony Duclair (10) and Jonathan Huberdeau (28) – :32
MTL Goal: Jonathan Drouin (6) – Assisted by Sami Niku (5) and David Savard (8) – 3:48
FLA Penalty: Radko Gudas for Fighting – 5 min major – 4:48
MTL Penalty: Michael Pezzetta for Fighting – 5 min major – 4:48
FLA Penalty: Brandon Montour for Slashing – 2 min minor – 10:13
2nd Period:
MTL Penalty: David Savard for Hooking – 2 min minor – 5:41
MTL Penalty: David Savard for Tripping – 2 min minor – 8:24
FLA Penalty: Aaron Ekblad for Interference – 2 min minor – 8:39
MTL Goal: Nick Suzuki (7) – Assisted by Jesse Ylonen (1) and Sami Niku (6) – 9:29
MTL Penalty: Corey Schueneman for Hooking – 2 min minor – 13:56
FLA PP Goal: Aleksander Barkov (12) – Assisted by Sam Reinhart (16) and Jonathan Huberdeau (29) – 15:02
FLA Goal: Frank Vatrano (8) – Assisted by Sam Reinhart (17) and Owen Tippett (7) – 17:30
MTL Penalty: Kale Clague for Hi-sticking – 2 min minor – 18:00
3rd Period:
FLA Goal: Sam Bennett (11) – Assisted by Mackenzie Weegar (18) and Jonathan Huberdeau (30) – :15
MTL Penalty: David Savard for Slashing – 2 min minor – :53
FLA Penalty: Radko Gudas for Hi-sticking – 2 min minor – 4:17
FLA Goal: Mason Marchment (2) – Assisted by Anton Lundell (2) – 13:04
Period by Period Statistical Breakdown
1st Period
| Montreal – 1 | Florida – 1 | |
| Faceoffs | 11 | 7 |
| Power Play | 0/1 | 0/0 |
| Shots | 15 | 15 |
| Hits | 13 | 12 |
2nd Period
| Montreal – 0 | Florida – 3 | |
| Faceoffs | 20 | 20 |
| Power Play | 0/2 | 1/4 |
| Shots | 21 | 36 |
| Hits | 20 | 21 |
3rd Period
| Montreal – 0 | Florida – 4 | |
| Faceoffs | 25 | 32 |
| Power Play | 0/3 | 1/5 |
| Shots | 31 | 48 |
| Hits | 25 | 29 |
What Needs to Be Worked On Going Into Next Game: Play a full 60 minutes. Simple as that. Montreal ran out of gas into the third period and wasn’t able to look back. With another week and a half off, that should give the Habs time to get things under control again.
Next Game: Wednesday, January 12th, 2022 at Boston Bruins
Upcoming Contests:
Tuesday, January 4th, 2022: vs. Washington Capitals (PPD)
Thursday, January 6th, 2022: vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (PPD)
Saturday, January 8th, 2022: vs. Buffalo Sabres (PPD)
Monday, January 10th, 2022: vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (PPD)
Wednesday, January 12th, 2022: vs. Boston Bruins (PPD)*
*Note: Montreal will still face Boston on January 12 but in Boston. All PPD games will be rescheduled for dates TBD
The Xperience Hockey Talk 
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