Canadiens Highlights: Hard-Fought Loss Versus Ducks

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The Montreal Canadiens hosted the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night, looking to return to their winning ways after a frustrating loss the previous night.

Brendan Gallagher returned to the lineup after spending Saturday watching the game as a healthy scratch, with Zachary Bolduc taking his spot in the press box. Arber Xhekaj replaced Jayden Struble on the blueline, and rookie netminder Jacob Fowler was given his 12th start of the season.

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There was also some unfortunate on the injury front, as Kirby Dach was forced to leave the game after a hit by Jeffrey Viel in the first period.

It was a hard-fought game between two talented clubs, but in the end the Ducks emerged with a 4-3 win.

Let’s dive into the highlights!

Speed Demon

With the Ducks up 2-0, the Canadiens found their rhythm, starting with a fantastic shot by Alex Newhook that was set up perfectly by phenom Lane Hutson.

It was Newhook’s 9th goal of the year, and it must be said that he’s done a fantastic job since returning from the ankle injury that forced him to miss a significant stretch of the season. As for Hutson, it was his 56th assist of the year, which tells you everything you need to know about his impact on a nightly basis.

Hutson is the rising tide that lifts all boats.

Usual Suspect

The Canadiens kept the momentum firmly in their corner by scoring another goal exactly one minute later, as Cole Caufield found the back of the net for the 39th time of the season.

Once again, an excellent play from a defender led to the goal, with Noah Dobson offering a perfect outlet pass that covered roughly 100 feet of ice. Dobson may not provide the same offensive impact as Hutson, few do, but there’s no doubt he’s provided a game-changing presence for the Canadiens.

Puck Protection

The Canadiens went on to take the lead when Nick Suzuki scored his 23rd goal of the year, via a great effort through the neutral zone by Juraj Slafkovsky to maintain control of the puck. It’s the type of play that Slafkovsky would have never attempted a few years ago, but now that he’s found his rhythm in the NHL, he’s becoming a consistent source of controlled exits and entries.

Late Collapse

Even though they struggled in the second period, the Ducks never relented, which eventually led to Cutter Gauthier’s 34th goal of the year to give Anaheim a 4-3 lead with just a few minutes left in the third period.

To Fowler’s credit, he saved the day on multiple occasions prior to the goal. The Canadiens were let down by their poor defensive coverage, a recurring theme this season.

The Montreal Canadiens will be back in action on Tuesday, facing the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm ET.

All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.

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