We dedicate this edition of the Hidden Game to Brian Hayward, the former Canadiens goaltender who, on Monday night, broadcast his 2,000th Anaheim Ducks game.
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The Ducks haven’t made the playoffs since the 2017-18 season, when they were swept in the first round by San Jose. That also marked the last season Anaheim had a winning record. And you thought the Canadiens were bad?
Hayward spent four seasons with Montreal, beginning in 1986. Now 64, Hayward also played for Winnipeg, Minnesota and San Jose. He played 357 NHL games — not bad for a guy who went undrafted. He had eight career shutouts.
Honourable mentioned to: Defenceman Jacob Trouba, making his Ducks debut following last week’s trade — and shaft — delivered by New York Rangers management, who threatened to put their US$8-million captain on waivers unless he accepted a trade. Isn’t pro sports wonderful?
Trouba escaped the first game with his new team without destroying Canadiens defenceman Justin Barron. Nor was he forced into a rematch against Josh Anderson.
On the other hand, could someone check what Trouba’s drinking? Following the trade he suggested the Ducks are “right on the cusp of taking the next step.” Say what?
He must see rubber in his dreams: Lukas Dostal started 15 games this season before facing the Canadiens. In those 15 contests, he faced a total of 520 shots — an average of 34.6 shots per outing. He hardly worked up a sweat against Montreal, which produced only 21 shots, including five in the first period and none in overtime.
Give this man a mirror: An NHL head coach should look good behind the bench. But the Ducks’ Greg Cronin didn’t have his tie in a proper knot because he was unable to fasten the top button. Fashion hint? Wear a turtleneck, go without a tie or ask Patrick Roy for advice.
Random thought of the night: Is it just us or do the Ducks’ road uniforms remind you of a team that should be playing in the KHL? Orange simply doesn’t work.
News you need (Part I):Patrik Laine — who else — opened the scoring with a power-play goal only 2:36 into the game. Not only does Laine have three power-play goals in four games, he becomes the first Canadiens player to score three times in his opening four matches since Yanic Perreault in 2001.
News you need (Part II): Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson both drew assists on the goal, each extending their point streaks to seven games.
News you need (Part III): The seven-game streak means Hutson has established a franchise record for rookie defencemen, eclipsing the mark he shared with Chris Chelios, whom we’ve heard of, and Glen Harmon, whom we have not.
Now he’s a goalie, too: Brendan Gallagher never takes a shift off and generally positions himself in front of the opposing team’s net. So it should come as no surprise he stopped a Mike Matheson shot in the game’s eighth minute.
How not to backcheck: Juraj Slafkovsky on the Ducks’ opening goal. He skated past a rebound, quickly deposited past Samuel Montembeault by Troy Terry.
News you need (Part IV): The Canadiens failed to register a shot through the final eight minutes of the first period.
Momentum … schmomentum: Only 11 seconds after Terry provided the visitors with a 2-1 lead, Kirby Dach scored his first goal since Oct. 26 — a stretch of 20 games. But who’s counting?
How not to play the puck: Dostal messed the bed on the Dach goal, turning the puck over to Slafkovsky behind the net. Slafkovsky fed Dach, the empty net staring back at him.
Where goals go to die: Christian Dvorak, still stuck on two goals this season, had a breakaway in the 12th minute of the second period. His backhand attempt was thwarted. Of course it was.
Shift of the night: Late in the period, Anderson whipped Owen Zellweger to the ice like a rag doll, then sent a backhand, cross-ice pass to Gallagher. His backhand shot was stopped.
Best fight of the night: Late in the period, Kaiden Guhle landed two right hands on Ryan Strome before sending him to the ice. Of course it also was the only fight of the night.
News you need (Part V): Of the Canadiens’ 15 shots through 40 minutes, Gallagher had four — one more than Laine.
This close to a hat trick: In the final minute of overtime, Terry beat Montembeault but couldn’t beat the crossbar.
Quick stats: David Savard blocked four shots. Mike Matheson blocked three while playing his customary 27:15. Guhle had four hits. Montembeault faced 29 shots for a save percentage of .931.
Go figure: Even with their 3-2 shootout defeat, the Ducks have a winning road record of 5-3-3. Of course, the argument could be made they’re actually 5-6 on the road. This is what they call the NHL’s new math.
They said it: “It’s nice to score. It’s nice to contribute,” Dach said. “It’s kind of the only way one was going to go in, I guess, with the whole open net in front of me.”
“I hate shootouts,” Montembeault said. “It’s hard, obviously a one-on-one. You never know what you’re going to face. I was happy we got the win. I’m just happy to find consistency. I have to keep doing that. If we play the right way, that’s a team we can take.”
“It’s nice. I’ll take it,” Slafkovsky said. “In the NHL that’s probably the first one like that, something like this happens. It happens. It’s a fast game. I know the goalie. He’s a great guy. I don’t feel like it’s a big deal.”