Call of the Wild: Montreal Canadiens lose and OT to Dallas Stars – Montreal

The Dallas Stars need wins badly to earn a playoff spot and they will not make it easy for Montreal Thursday night. The Canadiens still played a great game, but lost in extra time by 10 seconds, 4-3.

The exciting night at the Bell Center included the return of two key pieces from the lineup: Jake Allen and Christian Dvorak returning from long-term injuries.

Wild horse

There were so many revived under the leadership of Martin St. The new coach makes a great sense to open up his players. There are many who find a higher gear, such as Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, Jeff Petry, Brett Kulak, Josh Anderson, and more.

This has led many to wonder how much he can do for players who seem limited by their former head coaches’ defense systems. Jonathan Drouin and Christian Dvorak are players who like to use their creativity to add insult, but they have been cut.

We have to wait and see what’s up with Drouin. He’s back, but not quite yet. Anyway, Thursday night was our first chance to see if Dvorak had more to offer to play with this improved Canadiens club.

Dvorak was a scorestar in the Ontario Hockey League in London, but as a professional he played with nothing but poor teams, so it’s so hard to know what he’s actually bringing. The full rating will take some time, but one night Dvorak was on the ice for a super shift in the second period.

Dvorak, Brendan Gallagher and Artturi Lehkonen had 35 seconds of pressure in the Dallas zone. They rode well by bike. The shift was stopped with the line on a penalty. In the ensuing power play, Dvorak remained on the ice.

He was parked in front of the net as the hot two did it again: Nick Suzuki on Cole Caufield and the net. Dvorak was not involved in the cross-ice pass. He got no help in the game, but he was around.

That is four goals and three games for Caufield. They were not finished. They continued at the awful pace. Late in the third period, the Canadiens down with one, and it was Caufield with a sweet pass to the Suzuki who made a magnificent move for 2-2.

That’s 21 points and 16 games for Caufield, who has led the NHL rookie scoring since Martin St. Louis was hired. It’s also 18 points in the last 13 games for Suzuki as he has not slowed down his incredible pace. It is remarkable to see this time, and it seems that Dvorak is a part of it.

Dvorak had a great period in the third. On a rush, he was strong for a chance to work. Dvorak’s rating will last longer than this single game, but it was a very promising start under the new head coach.

It was also encouraging to see a goalkeeper who seemed reliable enough to have a relatively strong game in every game. Part of the topic this season for Montreal was not being able to find a reliable goalkeeper. Sam Montembeault has made many players strong, but every once in a while he puts a bad one. The Canadiens have pulled their goalkeeper a remarkable 11 times this season due to the starter fighting.

In Jake Allen’s first play back, he was stellar. He stole two stars from safe goals in the first period with acrobatic arrests. Allen seems to be carrying no rust after a long dismissal. It was a big open game and Allen was up for the task.

A word also for Corey Schueneman who scored his first NHL goal in his 11th NHL game. The shoemaker grabbed a shot that looked like the winner. He was a pleasant surprise for Montreal, and that was a great moment for him. The bench went wild. You can just feel the great team spirit.

Schueneman was not the best defender of Montreal, however, because Alexander Romanov was excellent. He did not get much ink for a strong second season. He continues to improve, and he has the potential to be a top four in this league. Romanov’s play was a success story in a difficult season.

Wild goats

The tough moment comes back from the gym this injury season. Gallagher made a hard hit in the second period. It turned out that he had injured his lower back. He needs a lot of help to get into the wardrobe, and he seems to be in a lot of pain.

Gallagher withdrew it for the third period, but he made many bruises during this game, the season, his career.

READ: Call of the Wild – Habs dropped by Coyotes

Wild Cards

The management team continues to impress. Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes received a maximum return for Ben Chiarot on Wednesday night. The club has purchased three assets for the Florida Panthers’ unrestricted free agent running for a Stanley Cup playoff.

The big prize in the deal is a first round design choice. The Canadians will get it in 2023 when there is a greater chance that they will get a better choice, in the hope that the Panthers are not as powerful as they were this season. Also tword is that the 2023 draft is deeper than 2022. Add to that the fact that the Canadians already have two choices in this year’s first round.

Two first rounds this year and two first rounds next year give the club a very good chance to regain its competitive advantage. Also keep in mind that Canadians have three choices this year around the top 35 of the draft, with the second rounder this year an early choice.

The club also got a mid-level perspective that they really liked. Ty Smilanic had an excellent season in college hockey for the top-ranked Quinnipiac, who scored 13 goals in 38 games. Smilanic is known for his shot and speed. If he can translate those assets to the NHL level, there’s a chance he could land.

The club also received a fourth-round pick. It is admitted that a player lands only five percent of the time spent in the fourth round, but it is better to have the choice than not to have it.

The Chiarot leaves nothing to be desired but positive things about the organizational structure, especially bouquets on the Martin St. Chiarot also opened the door to return to Montreal this summer to say he loves being with the Canadiens at all times.