Expect Oilers to fight back in rematch tonight
One of the quirks of this pandemic-driven NHL season has been the adoption of the so-called baseball schedule in which teams go on the road and play several games against the same opponent.
The Canadians are currently encamped in Edmonton, where they couldn't take too much time to savour Saturday night's 5-1 win over the Oilers because they have to prepare for rematch at Rogers Place tonight (9 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN Radio 690).
Coach Claude Julien said the results in the first week of play indicate teams can't take anything for granted.
“The Islanders beat the Rangers in their first game and tonight was just the opposite,” Julien said. “Teams adjust and there's also a sense of revenge. You saw Edmonton lose to Vancouver in their first game and then they came back in the second game they were a much better team.
“It's also important not to think that this convincing win is going to give us an edge in the next game,” Julien added. “We park this game and take the two points because they're important, but we have to realize we'll probably face a tougher opponent on Monday.”
Goalie Carey Price was the best player on the ice as he made 34 saves. He stopped Oilers superstar Connor Mcdavid on a breakaway in the first period and carried a shutout deep into the third period before he was beaten by Slater Koekkoek, the second-best player to come out of Larry Robinson's hometown of Winchester, Ont.
There have been discussions about how many starts Price will get this season, but he'll make his third consecutive appearance tonight against the Oilers. Backup Jake Allen will see his first action later in the week when the Canadiens travel to Vancouver to play the Canucks three times in four nights.
The Oilers will come back with Mikko Koskinen because they don't have a choice. Koskinen, who has a 4.04 goals-against average and an .892 save percentage through three games, is the only Edmonton goalie with NHL experience after veteran Mike Smith went on the long-term injured reserve list Friday with an undisclosed ailment.
Edmonton lost Anton Forsberg to waivers and their current No. 2 is 22-year-old Stuart Skinner, who has never played an NHL game. Their third goalie will be Olivier Rodrigue, a Chicoutimi native who has been playing in Austria.
The Canadiens' depth allowed Julien to roll four lines and keep his players fresh for the rematch. Defenceman Jeff Petry and forward Tomas Tatar each scored twice, while fourth-liner Jake Evans scored a short-handed goal.
“When you look at the whole season, it's like you play every second night (and) it may not look like much now but, as the season goes on, it will make a big difference,” Julien said. “You don't want to wear your players down.”
Josh Anderson fell awkwardly into the boards while attempting to deliver a check on Saturday, but Julien said there was no reason for concern. He said he kept Anderson out of the final five minutes to give more ice time to his fourth line.