Top 3 Reasons Canadiens Fans Shouldn’t Worry About Game 1

Lane Hutson led all Canadiens with four shots, though he was tied with forwards Alex Newhook, and Juraj Slafkovsky. Nick Suzuki and Ivan Demidov provided three shots, while Cole Caufield, Jake Evans, and Noah Dobson generated two shots.

In other words, most of Montreal’s best players were able to unleash more shots than they had on average in the series versus the Lightning.

Something’s Gotta Give

Speaking of Montreal’s best players, Suzuki, Slafkovsky, and Caufield once again failed to score at 5v5, though the captain did manage to find the back of the net on the powerplay.

Through eight playoff games, only Suzuki has managed to score at 5v5, the epitome of a red flag when discussing a team that tends to rely on its first line to drive the offensive charge.

And yet, Wednesday’s game was arguably the first line’s best performance at 5v5 since the start of the playoffs.

They put more pucks towards the net than their opponents (9-7), and they were able to generate a respectable amount of speed through the neutral zone, which led to more scoring opportunities off the rush.

This should benefit Caufield, in particular, a player who has had a very hard time finding the back of the net following a career-best season that saw him score 51 goals.

Game 1 was far from a masterclass, but it did feature a considerable uptick in shooting opportunities for Caufield and Company. This is due, in part, because of the Sabres’ style of play. They’re suffocating, but they’re also hell-bent on generating odd-man rushes, which leads to a little more open ice than what we saw in the series versus the Tampa Bay Lightning.

If the trends hold, expect Caufield to start finding the back of the net with more regularity versus the Sabres.

Besides, given the first-line’s success in the regular season, there’s nowhere left to go but up in the playoffs.

Canadiens Can Be Better

Without trying to create an excuse for the Game 1 loss, it’s fair to point out the Sabres had been rested and waiting for the Canadiens for several days, whereas the Habs were coming off a hellish series versus the Lightning that featured an unreasonable amount of extracurricular activities.

Consequently, the Canadiens approached the first period of Game 1 with the same intensity of a wild animal that got stuck in a gate for several days before finally being rescued.

With a little better preparation, not to mention some rest, the Habs should be able to avoid yet another multi-goal deficit.

All Montreal Canadiens Statistics are via Natural Stat Trick.

Related Headlines

• Habs Daily: Suzuki Selke Finalist, Pickford PoTY, Youngest Teams
• Canadiens Highlights: Sabres Strike First
• Nick Suzuki Selke Bid – Model Of Consistency And Leadership