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“Our goaltenders to date this yr have bailed us out, however ultimately it’s going to catch as much as you,” Brendan Gallagher says about errors.
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Juraj Slafkovsky lastly scored his first purpose of the season Saturday evening in St. Louis.
That was one of many solely shiny spots for the Canadiens as they misplaced 6-3 to the Blues.
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Brendan Gallagher and Nick Suzuki additionally scored for the Canadiens, who ended their three-game highway journey with an 0-2-1 file and they’re now 5-4-2 on the season.
Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, Brandon Saad, Alexey Toropchenko (short-handed), Brayden Schenn and Kasperi Kapanen (empty-netter) scored for the Blues, who improved their file to 5-4-1.
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Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault allowed 5 targets on 34 photographs because the Blues outshot the Canadiens 35-33. Montembeault’s file fell to 2-2-1 with a 3.32 goals-against common and a .894 save proportion.
Slafkovsky, the No. 1 general choose on the 2022 NHL Draft, failed to attain within the first 10 video games and had solely 10 photographs on purpose — none on a high-danger likelihood. He had didn’t get a single shot on purpose within the two earlier video games.
The 19-year-old scored his first purpose at 4:01 of the primary interval on an influence play, tying the rating 1-1 after Kyrou scored for the Blues on the 1:24 mark. It marked the fifth straight sport the Canadiens gave up the primary purpose.
Slafkovsky scored on a pleasant transfer in shut on goalie Joel Hofer and made a assured fist-pump to rejoice.
Street to the Cup
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“I don’t actually give attention to the previous as a result of I can’t do a lot about it,” Slafkovsky instructed reporters in St. Louis after the sport. “I’m simply trying ahead each sport, attempting to observe the (video) clips shortly after the sport and take into consideration what could possibly be higher.”
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis gave Slafkovsky a confidence enhance by placing him on the No. 1 line to begin the sport with Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Slafkovsky logged a season-high 18:06 of ice time and had 4 photographs on purpose.
“I’m very glad and I’m not shocked.,” St. Louis instructed reporters in St. Louis when requested about Slafkovsky’s efficiency. “Juraj is an efficient hockey participant. He seemed snug. I believed every time he was on the ice I felt like one thing was taking place and a whole lot of it needed to do with a few of his play, a few of his choices.”
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Gallagher was one other shiny spot for the Canadiens with a purpose and an help for the second straight sport, giving him 4-3-7 totals. It’s early, however with 4 targets in 11 video games Gallagher is on tempo to attain 30 targets. Sean Monahan prolonged his factors streak to 5 video games with an help on Gallagher’s purpose.
Gallagher minimize the Blues’ result in 3-2 when he scored at 14:48 of the second interval, giving the Canadiens hope as they headed into the ultimate 20 minutes. That hope elevated when the Canadiens received an influence play 1:10 into the third interval, however Toropchenko scored on a short-handed breakaway at 2:50 after Justin Barron was tripped on the offensive blue line with no penalty known as. The Blues went up 6-2 earlier than Suzuki scored his third purpose of the season at 18:32.
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It was a troublesome evening for Canadiens defenceman Mike Matheson, who received caught pinching within the offensive zone on the Blues’ first purpose after which misplaced his stick whereas making an attempt a poke test on the defensive blue line on their second purpose. Matheson completed the evening minus-3.
St. Louis stated his crew must play a extra easy sport with much less dangers and gamers must be extra disciplined with the selections they make. Gallagher stated the Canadiens must be taught to play higher on the highway, the place they’ve a 1-2-2 file.
“It’s not that it’s a scarcity of need or a scarcity of effort,” Gallagher stated. “I simply assume at occasions we made expensive errors. Our goaltenders to date this yr have bailed us out, however ultimately it’s going to catch as much as you.”
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Whereas St. Louis was completely satisfied to see Slafkovsky rating, he’s additionally impressed with enhancements the winger has made away from the puck defensively.
“He nonetheless has moments that he’s a 19-year-old, however I really feel snug as a result of he’s conscious defensively,” the coach stated. “Enjoying on that line you’re going to get harder matchups and stuff and he was not uncovered in that division tonight and I wasn’t anticipating him to be.
“I nonetheless assume that Slaf’s going to be a man that’s going to attain targets on this league,” St. Louis added. “I feel he’s robust to handle across the paint, he can win battles for (Suzuki and Caufield). I feel it’s a chance for younger gamers like Suzy and Cole to take a youthful participant beneath their wing and educate him.”
The Canadiens had been flying again to Montreal after the sport and can play the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday on the Bell Centre (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).
“We’ve a younger crew,” Suzuki stated. “It’s a tough league to win. You possibly can’t simply present up and I feel we sort of did that the previous couple of video games and it’s unacceptable from us. We received to go again house and clear up a whole lot of issues.”
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