Canadiens split overtime games over the weekend
After a weekend of heartstopping finishes, the Canadiens’ training camp moves into its final phase Monday as coach Michel Therrien concentrates on his opening-night lineup with preseason games against Boston on Tuesday in Quebec City and Thursday against the Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre.
The Canadiens managed to collect an overtime win and an overtime loss on the weekend and, on each occasion, they needed a lastminute goal to force overtime.
It was Daniel Carr who stepped up and scored the tying goal at 19:43 Sunday night, but the Toronto Maple Leafs posted a 3-2 win when Matt Hunwick scored with 39.3 seconds remaining in overtime.
Carr’s goal came after it appeared that Montreal had squandered its best chance of tying the game. The Canadiens pulled goaltender Mike Condon and enjoyed a 6-on-3 advantage for 1:38 but failed to score.
“It was disappointing but the culture on this team is to never give up,” said Carr, who scored seconds after the teams returned to evenstrength. “Davey (Desharnais) made a great play on the goal. He has such great vision and he was able to find me on the backside.’
It was Carr’s first point in three preseason games but he noted that he has had chances.
“This gets a monkey off my back, but if you’re getting chances, the puck will go in,” said Carr.
Morgan Rielly scored at 7:35 of the third period to snap a 1-1 tie.
For the second consecutive night, the Canadiens didn’t dress a single top-six forward, which explains why the Leafs had a wide advantage until late in the third period.
Daniel Audette, who is targeted for a spot in St. John’s, gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead when he scored at 13:20 of the first period. Nathan Beaulieu found Audette in the high slot and he beat Jhonas Enroth with a one-timer. Beaulieu also assisted on Carr’s goal and has a goal and five assists in three preseason starts.
Nikita Zaitsev, an offensive defenceman who has spent the past seven seasons in the KHL, tied the score at 9:19 of the third period.
Condon went all the way in goal for the Canadiens and he looked better than he did in his first two preseason outings, although he should have stopped Rielly on the second goal.
Therrien said Condon played his best game but it may not have been good enough to keep him in Montreal.
“(Auston Matthews) came in on me and I had a face full of snow on that goal,” said Condon.
Matthews, the No. 1 overall pick in June’s NHL draft, made his first appearance in a Leafs uniform after representing Team North America in the World Cup of Hockey. He played 18:23 and was a plus-2 on the night while winning only one of his six faceoffs.
Therrien also said his team was intimidated by Toronto’s speed but that’s a situation that should be rectified when Montreal employs a full NHL lineup.
The Canadiens’ penalty-killing unit was in mid-season form as it successfully thwarted six Toronto power plays, including four in a row in the second period. The Montreal power play went 0-for-4.
On Saturday, the Canadiens defeated the Senators 3-2 in overtime at the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, Ont.
Therrien said he was surprised that the Canadiens won because they iced a team laden with inexperienced players. The six defencemen in that game had played a total of 17 NHL games and all six were cut Sunday.
The defence was backed up by veteran goaltender Al Montoya. He made 24 saves and solidified his position as Carey Price backup.
Paul Byron led the Montreal offence with a goal and two assists. He set up Brian Flynn for the tying goal at 19:24 of the third period and teamed with Phillip Danault on the game-winner at the 46-second mark of overtime.