Montreal Canadiens

It was Jacob Fowler who "increased the Canadiens’ chances of winning"
Charles-Alexis Brisebois
It was Jacob Fowler who "increased the Canadiens’ chances of winning"
Credit: X / Sportsnet

Last night, the Canadiens welcomed Carey Price to the Bell Centre.

The club's former goaltender, who has been retired for several years now, was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame. He also received a long standing ovation from the fans.

This got the evening off to a strong start.

Afterward, the Canadiens players took matters into their own hands to pay tribute to #31. They seemed to have forgotten how to score and decided to rely on their goaltender.

Because yes, last night it was Jacob Fowler who boosted the “Flanelle's” chances of winning—to use a term that's currently all the rage in the NHL.

Without him, the Canadiens weren't sure they could have snatched a point from their opponents. The same can be said of Jasper Wallstedt for the Wild, who secured the victory.

All this to say that Fowler was excellent in a 2-1 overtime loss. No one doubts it.

What factors reduced their chances of winning? The fact that the Canadiens' players were unable to get a shot on goal in the opening minutes of the game. The anemic power play. The fact that they scored only once in the game.

And, of course, the officiating.

We don't just want to complain about the referees, but we can all agree that yesterday, it was blatant. Late in the game, they called a penalty on Cole Caufield that wasn't a penalty.

That opened the door to a four-on-three in overtime. Against the Wild, that's not what you want.

No one on the Canadiens was happy. And even though the loss wasn't solely due to that one play, it's clear that the Habs are fed up with the referees stealing the show.

And that's understandable.

But those aren't the only things worth noting about yesterday's game. What else stands out to me from the game against the Minnesota Wild?

Several things.

1. The Canadiens gave up another goal in the third period. And the only reason they didn't lose the lead is because they never took the lead in the first place.

That's a trend we need to keep an eye on. And that's true even though it would be dishonest not to add that the Habs played a good game of hockey against an NHL powerhouse and picked up a point in the process.

2. Nick Suzuki left for the locker room before returning to the game—to score—late in the third period. How is he feeling this morning? Will he be at practice?

We'll be keeping a close eye on all of that.

3. There weren't really any dead weight players for the Canadiens last night. The depth players did their jobs well, and no one dragged the team down.

But aside from Jacob Fowler, too few players managed to make a difference.

4. Lane Hutson has taken his game to another level this season. Mike Matheson's repeated absences have given him the space to lead the defensive corps.

Last night, against Quinn Hughes and the Wild, he spent 26:47 on the ice. And once again, he was solid.

Overtime

This morning at 11:30 a.m., the Canadiens players will practice. Afterward, they'll head to Boston for tomorrow night's game against the Bruins.

Keep in mind that the team will return immediately after Thursday's game. On Saturday night, the Avalanche will be at the Bell Centre.