Loss to Washington still ‘one of our best games of the year’

It’s always disappointing when a team loses, but Lars Eller said the Canadiens’ 3-2 loss to the Washington Capitals Thursday night was tough to swallow because “we played one of our best games of the year.”

The Canadiens dominated the Capitals in most areas of the game but they were thwarted by Braden Holtby, who made 33 saves to run his career record against the Canadiens to 7-0-2.

“We played a really good hockey game, but the hockey gods weren’t on our side tonight,” said Canadiens coach Michel Therrien.

“We had constant pressure and we controlled the game, but Holtby was extraordinary,” said Therrien. “He was the story of the game.”

To understand how one-sided this game was, you only have to look at the statistics. The Canadiens outshot the visitors 35-19 but also had 26 shots blocked and another 12 were off target, which means the Canadiens took 73 shots. The Capitals, who were leading the league with an average of 31 shots on goal, had 13 shots blocked and 11 more were high or wide for a total of 43. The Canadiens also won 57 per cent of the faceoffs and had the edge in turnovers.

But Holtby’s heroics had the Canadiens shaking their heads in frustration and admiration.

“It was one of our best games so I knew their goalie was good, but, wow, that’s a really good performance,” said Max Pacioretty, who had a game-high nine shots on goal.

“We got to find ways to put pucks in and take away his eyes,” sad Pacioretty. “But you got to give credit to that goalie. A lot of huge saves in key moments of the game. It was frustrating not to be able to put some by him.”

Pacioretty was reunited with David Desharnais, who set him up for a one-timer in the first period.

“Davey did a great job of hiding that pass and I had the second half of the net and it feels like it just banks off his toe,” said Pacioretty. “But you know what, good goalies find ways to make big saves. I knew he was a good goalie but he really frustrated us.”

The Desharnais line, with Dale Weise on the right side, produced scoring chances, but Pacioretty said that wasn’t good enough.

“You got to find ways to make a difference in the game and have that killer instinct to want to be the difference,” said Pacioretty. “We got to put the puck in the net.”

Eller did put the puck in the net and said he was pleased with the work of his line with Alex Galchenyuk and Sven Andrighetto.

“They created some room on my goal and I was able to get a step on the goalie,” said Eller. “Sven had a couple of chances and Holtby

(G)ood goalies find ways to make big saves. I knew he was a good goalie but he really frustrated us.

made a big save on Chucky late in the game. They got some bounces and we didn’t.”

The Washington bounces came on the second and third goals. The Capitals went ahead 2-1 with 44 seconds remaining in the second period when T.J. Oshie’s shot bounced into the air and went in off Mike Condon’s arm. The winning goal was scored when Oshie tipped a shot by Karl Alzner. “You can always do something to stop the puck, but he made a good tip and it went in off the post,” said Condon.

Brian Flynn had the prettiest goal of the night when he beat Holtby on a short-handed breakaway after the goalie stopped Paul Byron on a breakaway attempt.

“I called for the puck and Paulie made a good play to get it to me,” said Byron. “You don’t have a lot of time to think in those situations. I just relied on instinct and went wide.”