Here at the Hidden Game, we’re not in the habit of paying credit to other media members.
After all, we remember former Alouettes’ head coach Marc Trestman’s famous line: “The media is not your friend.”
And while he’s not yet comparable to legendary RDS broadcaster Pierre Houde, or even the late Danny Gallivan or Dick Irvin, Saturday’s game between the Canadiens and St. Louis Blues at the Bell Centre was the 1,500th in the career of TVA Sports’ play-by-play man Félix Séguin, one of the good guys who got his start, like others, in junior hockey.
Anyone in this business who gives up their Saturday nights should be commended.
Who says the Canadiens are slow starters: Through the game’s opening minute, Montreal produced two shots against Blues’ goaltender Jordan Binnington. The visitors, conversely, didn’t test Samuel Montembeault until nearly four minutes had elapsed.
This close to his first NHL goal: In the game’s sixth minute, Oliver Kapanen was in alone, but his backhand attempt was thwarted by Binnington.
Those $400 sticks aren’t what they once were: Moments later, Lane Hutson made a great cross-ice pass to Emil Heineman. Regrettably, the puck deflected off his blade into the crowd.
He probably had it coming: Michael Pezzetta took the game’s opening penalty, a boarding infraction against Alexey Toropchenko.
He came to play: There shouldn’t have been any doubt Montembeault would rebound from his performance against the New York Rangers last Tuesday, replaced after allowing four first-period goals — at least three of which weren’t his fault — on 10 shots. But to solidify that point, he made a nice stop in the game’s ninth minute, while the Blues were on the power-play, on a redirect from Jake Neighbours. Two minutes later, Montembeault stopped Jordan Kyrou while St. Louis had a two-on-one break.
Here’s to the old guy: Canadiens defenceman David Savard, who just turned 34 and is the team’s oldest player, could have got rid of the puck in the first period. Instead, realizing a Blues’ power play had ended, he started the sequence that led to Montreal’s opening goal. Savard also administered a nice hit on Bradon Saad behind the Canadiens’ net in the 11th minute.
His timing is impeccable: Jake Evans is unlikely ever to become a prolific scorer, but he brings so many more intangibles to the Canadiens. The unheralded centre’s playing well this season in the final year of his contract. And he opened the scoring at 8:34 of the first period, beating Binnington low to the stick side off a two-on-one break. We’re willing to overlook the fact Evans didn’t pass to Pezzetta on the play.
Play Pezzetta (Part I): Despite only 2:20 of ice time in the opening period, Pezzetta had a team-leading two hits.
That’s the secret:Kirby Dach, who hadn’t scored since March 23, 2023 — of course, he was limited to only two games last season before tearing two knee ligaments — fell to the ice while providing the Canadiens with a 2-0 lead only 72 seconds into the second period. Who needs to be upright?
Momentum, schmomentum: Incredibly, only 21 seconds later, Colton Parayko scored the Blues’ first goal.
This close to his second one: In the period’s fourth minute, Binnington made a pretty glove save against Dach, who was stationed in the slot.
Everything that could go wrong: On the Blues’ second goal, Mike Matheson blew a tire before being caught behind the net. Teammates Logan Mailloux, Dach and Cole Caufield all could have provided more support as well.
Won’t you be my Neighbours: That goal was scored by Neighbours, his team-leading fourth this season.
Play Pezzetta (Part II): Yes, that was Pezzetta who won a second-period faceoff against Radek Faksa after Christian Dvorak was kicked out.
Pass of the night: Dach to Alex Newhook on the Canadiens’ winning goal.
How’s that for quick: It took the Canadiens only six seconds for Newhook to score following Scott Perunovich’s high-sticking penalty.
Hit of the night: Jayden Struble on Dylan Holloway in the second period.
Block of the night: In the fifth minute of the third period, Josh Anderson, while killing a penalty, slid across to intercept Justin Faulk’s attempt. But Anderson took the shot off his left foot, limped off and didn’t return. The Canadiens have recalled Lucas Condotta from AHL Laval.
Shot of the night: Caufield, from the right-wing circle, to Binnington’s stick side for Montreal’s fourth goal.
News you need: Caufield has a team-leading seven goals. Last season, it took him 22 games to reach that total.
Quick stats: Dach and Joel Armia each produced four shots. Savard blocked five shots. Pezzetta had four hits in 8:51 of ice time. Lane Hutson logged a team-high 23:49. With 29 stops, Montembeault’s save percentage was .935.
They said it: “I knew it was going to take some time,” Dach said. “If I kept doing the right things, I knew eventually one was going to go in. We fixed some things that we needed to fix. We came ready to play. This was an important game for us.”
“I had two good practises to get back into a rhythm,” Montembeault said. “Right from the start, I felt really good, my legs were good and I was moving well.”
“We for sure needed a bounce-back after the last game,” said defenceman Arber Xhekaj, who returned to the lineup after two games as a healthy scratch. “I think everyone was ready to go. We were pumped up and came out flying.”
“I felt like we were harder to play against,” said Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis. “I felt there was less space. The way we played (the system) tonight, we raised the percentage of us winning.”