After suffering three straight losses to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Arizona Coyotes, and St. Louis Blues, the Montreal Canadiens looked to get back into the win column against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 7. Unfortunately, that did not come to fruition, as the Lightning defeated the Canadiens by a 5-3 final score. Although the Canadiens lost this contest, they did put up a good fight in the end. Let’s discuss three main takeaways from the contest now.
Allen’s Tough Start
Jake Allen has been one of the main bright spots for the Canadiens this season. He played a big role during their strong start to the season, but the veteran netminder notably had a rough time against the Lightning in this one. The 33-year-old goalie allowed four goals on just nine shots in the first period before being pulled.
After allowing a goal 22 seconds into the game to Lightning superstar forward Nikita Kucherov, Allen just could not find his groove in this one. However, at the same time, the Canadiens did not make it easy for him. Their defence was subpar during the first period, and it naturally played a role in Allen’s tough outing. The only goal that could truly be considered a weak one was Michael Eyssimont’s – the last one Allen would allow.
Overall, this was just a rough night for Allen, but when looking at how well he has played this season, he should have zero trouble bouncing back. With this loss, Allen now sports a 3-2-1 record to go along with a .910 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.35 goals-against average (GAA).
Dvorak & Pezzetta Get on the Board
While this was a tough loss for the Canadiens, two of their players scored their first goals of the season. Christian Dvorak scored in the final minute of the contest, while hard-working winger Michael Pezzetta also scored in the third period.
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For our game preview on the THW Montreal Canadiens Substack, I predicted that Dvorak would pot his first goal of the season, and he delivered. The 27-year-old notably missed the beginning of the season due to knee surgery, but in his second game of the season against the Lightning, he looked solid. The hope is now that he will continue to make an impact offencively, as he has the potential to.
As for Pezzetta, it was great to see the gritty forward get his first of the season. He has had multiple close calls this season, but the puck luck just has not been there for him. Perhaps now that he has his first of the season, we will see him contribute on the scoresheet more. He just needs to keep being a strong net-front presence like he was with his goal.
Canadiens Refuse to Quit
Although the Canadiens lost this game in the first period, they refused to quit as the contest rolled on. They were especially better in the third period, as Nick Suzuki, Pezzetta, and Dvorak all scored during it. Yet, besides the goals, they also had far more energy as the game continued. They displayed a lot of heart, and although it was not enough to get the two points, it is always good to see this from a rebuilding team.
Samuel Montembeault also did extremely well in relief, saving 22 out of 23 shots. This game could have been a lot worse for the Canadiens if he struggled coming out cold, but he did marvelously, and it helped give the Canadiens a boost in the process.
Nevertheless, although this was a hard loss for the Canadiens, there were some positives from it. They will now look to end their losing streak on Nov. 9 in a much-anticipated Original Six matchup against the Detroit Red Wings.