Canadiens Recreation Day: Drained Habs lose 2-1 to Flames in Calgary

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Inside a span of simply over 24 hours, the Canadiens performed two hockey video games and had a flight from Vancouver to Calgary in between.

It confirmed on the ice Thursday night time as they misplaced 2-1 to the Calgary Flames.

The Canadiens have been outplayed and outshot 29-18 by the Flames, together with 14-5 within the second interval. They have been dropping 2-0 when Corey Perry scored on a deflection at 10:15 of the third interval to provide them some life, however the Canadiens merely didn’t have their legs on this night time as their report fell to 12-7-7, remaining in fourth place within the all-Canadian North Division.

The fifth-place Flames improved to 12-12-3 and moved inside 4 factors of the Canadiens for the ultimate playoff spot with Montreal holding one recreation in hand.

The Flames have been coming off a three-day break of their schedule and in addition had new coach Darryl Sutter making his debut behind the bench.

The Canadiens didn’t examine into their Calgary resort till after 3 a.m. native time following Wednesday night time’s 5-1 win over the Canucks in Vancouver.

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“It’s a part of the sport,” the Canadiens’ Jonathan Drouin mentioned concerning the schedule after dropping to the Flames. “We knew it was coming after we appeared on the schedule for the highway journey. You bought to get as a lot sleep in, bought to get an excellent stretch in within the morning, get an excellent meal. Typically it’s simply not there. However when it’s not there as a crew we bought to discover a strategy to do these little issues proper and ensure we’re on the identical web page. It’s not going to be a reasonably night time, as you noticed tonight. We bought to discover a strategy to simply play hockey, play our approach, however not pressure issues.

“We’re going to get nights like that the place it’s not flowing the way in which it must be,” he added. “However we’ll get higher at that. We simply bought to determine our recreation after we’re not having it.”

This condensed 56-game NHL schedule is basically changing into a grind, each bodily and mentally for gamers. The Canadiens are in a stretch during which they play 16 video games in 29 days within the month of March. The remaining 30 video games on their schedule shall be performed over 57 days.

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The 2 Calgary objectives within the second interval — each scored by Josh Leivo — have been the results of psychological errors by the Canadiens. The primary one got here after a poor go within the Calgary zone by Josh Anderson that resulted in a turnover and a foul line change. The second got here after a harmful go up the center by defenceman Shea Weber to Jesperi Kotkaniemi within the Canadiens zone.

“The most important problem is psychological … to have the ability to be making sturdy performs on the proper time, simply particulars like that,” Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme mentioned after the sport. “Particularly within the second interval we paid money on these sort of performs. We bought to take that and we bought to be reacting significantly better subsequent time we’re in that scenario.”

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Allen will get begin in objective

Jake Allen bought the beginning in objective for the Canadiens along with his report falling to 4-3-3 with a 2.28 goals-against common and a .922 save share. Carey Worth had began the earlier three video games.

Allen did his finest to provide his drained teammates an opportunity to catch their breath throughout the recreation.

“Me as a goalie, my goal tonight was to come back in and get as many whistles as potential,” Allen mentioned. “That was my No. 1 objective for this crew. I assumed I did a reasonably good job of that within the second interval, simply to sluggish the sport down.

“No query a little bit little bit of drained legs however, hey, each crew’s going by it proper now and factors are essential,” Allen added. “They got here out and performed a heavy, laborious recreation. We knew they have been going to do this with the brand new teaching change. We simply couldn’t discover our groove tonight. I feel we’ll get again to the drafting board tomorrow. I feel we’ve performed some actually good hockey as of late and get to it once more Saturday (towards the Flames).”

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Allen famous that younger gamers must discover ways to preserve power on back-to-back video games.

“Puck administration, taking whistles when you might want to, perhaps taking an icing if it’s important to,” he mentioned. “Simply discover methods to simplify your recreation, make it simple on your self and to let your physique do its work. A number of drained legs coming in the remainder of the season right here. There’s going to be a number of video games so we bought to discover a approach to make use of these in the suitable approach.”

Allen mentioned the Canadiens’ construction in all three zones has improved “immensely” since Ducharme took over from Claude Julien as head coach.

“I feel final night time was most likely our greatest recreation thus far as a crew,” the goalie mentioned. “5-man assist all around the ice, developing collectively. Tonight I feel we bought a little bit bit unfold out. They got here laborious, didn’t give us a complete lot of time to get into our system, into our construction, and I feel that’s one thing that we’ll check out tomorrow and regroup. We clearly have an enormous recreation towards them Saturday and go from there. I don’t assume we must be overly involved and simply get again to our recreation.”

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Chiarot has fractured hand

Defenceman Ben Chiarot returned to Montreal on Thursday to be examined by crew medical doctors after struggling a fractured proper hand throughout a combat with the Canucks’ J.T. Miller Wednesday night time.

Victor Mete, who had solely performed 5 video games this season, changed Chiarot within the lineup and was paired with Brett Kulak. Alexander Romanov moved as much as take Chiarot’s spot beside Weber.

Romanov logged 17:10 of ice time, was minus-1 and had a team-leading six hits. Mete had 14:52 of ice time with two hits, one shot and was even in plus/minus. Mete skated very nicely after being a wholesome scratch for the earlier eight video games.

“It was a little bit bit robust, however throughout that point I used to be additionally skating fairly laborious with the taxi squad,” Mete mentioned. “So I didn’t really feel too unhealthy, truly. I assumed I bought my toes below me after the primary interval after which from there on I assumed I used to be effective.”

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Perry nonetheless has it

Perry’s objective was his fifth in 19 video games this season whereas averaging solely 12:22 of ice time.

Solely 4 gamers on the Canadiens have extra objectives: Tyler Toffoli (15), Jeff Petry (10), Brendan Gallagher (10) and Anderson (10).

The 35-year-old Perry began the season on the Canadiens’ taxi squad after signing a one-year, US$750,000 contract as a free agent throughout the low season.

“Pears has been an enormous addition to this crew,” Allen mentioned. “Simply leadership-wise, his presence on the ice. He’s nonetheless bought his contact. I performed towards him so much final 12 months and so much within the West earlier than. He might not transfer as fast as he used to however, hey, it doesn’t actually matter within the recreation he performs. He’s across the internet, he bangs, he throws different groups off. He’s been an enormous half to our success.”

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Perry scored a career-high 50 objectives with the Anaheim Geese in 2010-11, profitable the Rocket Richard Trophy for probably the most objectives within the NHL together with the Hart Trophy because the league’s MVP.

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One other combat

An evening after Chiarot fractured his hand in a combat, Anderson determined to drop the gloves with the Flames’ Milan Lucic within the third interval Thursday night time when the rating was 2-0.

Lucic gained the combat simply and simply missed connecting with a depraved proper hand that most likely would have knocked Anderson out if it landed.

Anderson was restricted to 26 video games final season with the Columbus Blue Jackets due to a shoulder harm that required surgical procedure.

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Some stats

The Flames outshot the Canadiens 29-18 and gained 51 per cent of the faceoffs. The Canadiens outhit the Flames 24-22.

The Canadiens went 0-for-2 on the facility play, whereas the Flames went 0-for-3.

Petry led the Canadiens in ice time with 24:45, adopted by Weber with 23:07 and Joel Edmundson with 20:59. Toffoli led the forwards with 17:39 of ice time, adopted by Nick Suzuki with 16:56 and Phillip Danault with 16:51.

Tomas Tatar led the Canadiens with three pictures, whereas Danault, Paul Byron, Perry and Edmundson had two every. Romanov had a team-leading six hits, whereas Joel Armia had 4 and Tatar had three.

Kotkaniemi went 5-4 on faceoffs (56 per cent), Danault went 10-11 (48 per cent), Suzuki went 4-5 (44 per cent) and Jake Evans went 3-6 (33 per cent).

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Lehkonen a wholesome scratch once more

Canadiens ahead Artturi Lehkonen was a wholesome scratch for the fourth straight recreation and the sixth time this season.

Lehkonen has 2-2-4 totals and is minus-2 in 20 video games this season. He’s pointless within the final 11 video games he has performed.

Right here’s how the ahead strains and defence pairings appeared towards the Flames:

Drouin – Suzuki – Anderson
Toffoli – Kotkaniemi – Gallagher
Tatar – Danault – Armia
Byron – Evans – Perry

Romanov – Weber
Edmundson – Petry
Mete – Kulak

What’s subsequent?

The Canadiens can have a time off on Friday earlier than taking part in the Flames once more Saturday night time on the Saddledome (7 p.m., SNE, CITY, TVA Sports activities, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).

Subsequent week, the Canadiens will play the Jets in Winnipeg on Monday (8 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM) and Wednesday (9 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM), earlier than returning to Montreal for six straight video games on the Bell Centre.

scowan@postmedia.com

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