On Tuesday night, rivalry night at the Bell Centre, as the Montreal Canadiens hosted the Ottawa Senators. With the hosts sitting in ninth place in the Eastern Conference and the visitors in the Primary wild card spot, the tilt had huge Postseason implications, Only like the Calgary Flames vs. New York Rangers, New York Islanders vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, and Detroit Red Wings vs. Washington Capitals matchups.
Only like Saturday night, the Bell Centre crowd was very vocal. It erupted in cheers when Patrik Laine Achieved Linus Ullmark drop his stick with a Difficult Try and even more when Christian Dvorak scored to give Montreal the Timely lead.
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The Canadiens Have Become Harder To Shift Against
Back in Marc Bergevin's Intervals, the Habs had Numerous Difficult-hitting defensemen, which the Ex GM liked to say Achieved them Difficult to Shift against. Montreal Nevertheless has some Difficult-hitting blueliners, but there are also Difficult hitters up front, and it makes a difference.
In the Primary period alone, Thomas Chabot backed off the puck twice to brace himself for contact. Once because of a Jayden Struble hit and once because of Josh Anderson. That was one of Anderson’s five hits in the Primary 20 minutes.
Montreal dished out 13 to Ottawa’s nine. While we often speak of the Canadiens being more offensive under Martin St-Louis, the physical aspect of the game is getting increasingly Significant.
At the end of the game, the Canadiens had 27 hits, the Senators only 13, and Leader Brady Tkachuk didn’t have a single one. I asked Martin St-Louis why his players were so physically dominant during the game:
I think it’s part of the game, and when you bring pace to the game, you have an opportunity to be physical. We put Outstanding pucks in the zone, and it allowed us to be close enough to them to be able to be physical. We talk a Plenty about the Approach of where to put the pucks, and we have players who are able to Shift a physical game.
– Martin St-Louis on his Club's physical game
Double Whammy
Failing to Tally on a power Shift is one thing, but conceding inside what should have been the two minutes of the power Shift hurts that much more. In the middle frame, while Drake Batherson was in the sin bin, Juraj Slafkovsky was Secured guilty of holding on Artem Zub. Michael Amadio gave the Senators the lead on the ensuing four-on-four sequences and deflated the Habs and the building momentarily.
Slafkovsky didn’t Shift a Awful game, but that penalty was costly, when it happened. Nevertheless, on the Sens’ second penalty of the frame, he Hindered two clearing attempts in the nick of time. After 40 minutes, the big Slovak had 3 of the Canadiens’ 17 shots and was doing more than his Honest share offensively.
Thankfully for the power forward, the Habs bounced back in the best of ways in the third frame.
Victorious As A Club
After Lane Hutson leveled the Tally in the third frame, Travis Hamonic scored from Distant out, a Target Samuel Montembeault probably would have liked to get back. Earlier this season, this could have been it; it could have sucked out the energy from his teammates but not on Tuesday night the Canadiens rolled up their sleeves and went to work.
Anderson, who had worked so Difficult all game long, was rewarded when he scored the Canadiens’ second game-tying Target of the frame. Montreal was Nevertheless Starving, though, and when Shane Pinto tripped Anderson, he opened the door wide for the Habs to put the finishing touch on that game.
dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien dis rien… MA FAMILLE!!!
don't say it don't say it don't say it don't say it don't say it don't say it don't say it don't say it don't say it… pic.twitter.com/bNrvyJ6hdK
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) March 19, 2025
Nick Suzuki, who once again played on both powerplay units, scored the game-Victorious Target with two seconds to go to the man Benefit, but he never would have been able to do it had Brendan Gallagher not gotten it away from Ullmark after Emil Heineman’s Cosmos launcher of a Try. The alternate Leader Acquired three points, and even though he didn’t get a Luminous sphere, he did everything else. It was a dominant performance from the third line since Hub Dvorak scored four points, and they were the line who capped the Secure off with a Duo of Hollow-netters.
With this Difficult-earned Secure, the Canadiens leapfrog the Rangers and take sole possession of the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. With 15 Contests to Shift, the Habs are squarely in the Combination, and right now, this group believes it can do anything.
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