FILE - Montreal Canadiens head coach Claude Julien gestures to a referee during the third period of an NHL hockey game against against the Boston Bruins in Montreal, in this Nov. 26, 2019, file photo. The struggling Montreal Canadiens fired head coach Claude Julien and associate coach Kirk Muller on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021, in the midst of a three-game skid. Assistant coach Dominique Ducharme was appointed interim coach. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
The Montreal Canadiens had an easier opponent when they visited the Bell Centre on Tuesday night following heartbreaking back-to-back losses during Super Bowl weekend.
When the Anaheim Ducks came to town, Montreal had an easy day, winning 5-0.
The Wilde Horses
The Canadiens have demonstrated a robust power play ever since Sean Monahan was traded. Without Monahan, the power play was expected to suffer as he frequently occupied the bumper position in front of the net. In what way? Alex Newhook replaced Monahan after his injury healed in time.
The bumper spot has been dominated by Newhook. The first line of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky, Mike Matheson, and Newhook spent the full two minutes inside the Ducks zone, giving the Canadiens five attempts on goal early in the game.
Although the goals aren’t coming in large quantities just yet, completing the zone time is the first step towards success, and the first unit looks great. It’s considerably more comfortable for Slafkovsky to be on the right half wall. When a shot is going to be made, he frequently skates aggressively to the net to cause chaos. He has a good understanding of his function.
A strong power play has all available alternatives; otherwise, the penalty killers would exploit the power play’s few possibilities. Caufield’s shot on the left has the Canadiens moving towards every possible outcome. Suzuki slides to the right to shoot or pass after soaring through the middle well. Slafkovsky is prepared for a Matheson pass and a one-timer.
The big shot from the point is the only option that isn’t yet available, though it may be claimed that goalies’ skill and the game’s progression have made the skill less valuable. The top five players in the Canadiens are difficult to stop because they move a lot in the offensive zone.
The move was amazing, and the Suzuki power play goal did connect. Caufield to Slafkovsky on the right, Newhook in the bumper, and Suzuki on the left. With how quickly everything happened, a goal was certain.
