Within the Habs’ Room: We’re not a fragile group, Gallagher asserts

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The penalty kill was one of many sturdy factors for the Canadiens throughout their run to the Stanley Cup final season, however it has been marked by one failure after one other this season.

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The newest collapse got here Saturday because the Vegas Golden Knights wanted solely two photographs to attain two power-play targets within the second interval as they rebounded from an 0-2 deficit to beat Montreal 5-2 on the Bell Centre.

Vegas scored three targets on six photographs in a seven-minute spurt. Other than the play of goaltender Robin Lehner, it was the one signal of competence from the guests who had been outshot 20-1 within the first interval and 38-17 over the sport.

“It’s robust to take,” conceded Canadiens goaltenderJake Allen. “We had a tough effort, we performed nicely. They obtained just a few bounces. It’s robust to maintain your head up, however for almost all of final three video games we’re headed in the fitting route however we now have to discover a option to win.”

The Golden Knights got here into the sport as the one NHL group and not using a power-play objective this season, however Alex Pietrangelo modified that when he obtained the bounce on his shot from the purpose.

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“The primary one went into the highest nook off (Jeff Petry’s) foot,” Allen mentioned. “However we now have to get again to  our construction, again to our roots. Final 12 months within the playoffs that was considered one of our anchors, a hit level and it gave our group a number of motivation. That’s one of many issues the PK can carry, feeling to the group, feeling within the room. You see guys sacrificing for one another.”

There’s one massive distinction between this 12 months’s PK and the one which was so profitable within the playoffs — the personnel.

Gone are defenceman Shea Weber and ahead Phil Danault and we don’t know when Carey  Value might be again between the pipes.

“We’d prefer to hold these guys, however you’ll be able to’t,” mentioned coach Dominique Ducharme. “However if you happen to have a look at each photographs, one touched Jeff and the opposite was  a display.”

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Ducharme mentioned the Canadiens did job of taking away inside photographs and photographs from the center on the blue line. They compelled Vegas to shoot from the skin, however each photographs discovered a manner in.”

The sport remained 3-2 till the dying seconds when Vegas scored two empty-net targets. The groups had been taking part in 4-on-4 when Ducharme gambled and pulled Allan for an additional attacker with a faceoff within the Vegas zone.  Nick Suzuki, who has a hand in all of the Montreal scoring with a objective and an help, received the faceoff, however the puck jumped over a Montreal stick and Chandler Stephenson scored the primary empty-netter.

“We nonetheless managed the sport within the second interval earlier than our penalty (Ben Chiarot),” Ducharme mentioned. “Principally, they took benefit of their possibilities. However I believe we deserved higher. The scoring possibilities had been 23-7 in our favour and would take that each evening. 9 occasions out of 10, victory would come from our aspect. I believe we deserved higher.”

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Brendan Gallagher denied a suggestion the Canadiens had been fragile.

“That they had a push there, it’s a part of the sport,” Gallagher mentioned. “It wasn’t a query of being fragile. We did a reasonably good job of outworking them besides for his or her goaltender.”

Gallagher was referring to veteran Lehner, who stopped 36 photographs.

“We’ve got to discover a option to bear down in entrance of the web and rating some targets,” Gallagher mentioned. “I put myself in that class. I had probability to attain.”

phickey@postmedia.com

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