MONTREAL — The Montreal Canadiens played a tight-checking game in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday, but glaringly lacked in one category: shots.
The Canadiens (7-11-3) posted only 13 shots on goal, despite the four minutes 33 seconds of extra play. It was the club's lowest total since Dec. 7, 2009 when they faced the Philadelphia Flyers.
Montreal won 3-1 over Philadelphia that night. There was a different result Tuesday as Mikhail Sergavchev potted the OT winner for Utah (9-10-3).
“It’s not enough, that’s for sure,” head coach Martin St. Louis said of the shot total. “But I think we had 35 missed or blocked shots. We’re not a team that brings a lot of volume, but we need to generate more. It makes a difference in a game when you have more shots.”
Utah outshot Montreal 14-5 in the first period, 8-3 in the second, 6-5 in the third and 1-0 in OT.
“We lacked execution offensively,” St. Louis said. “We missed passes, but defensively, that’s a fast team and we matched that pace, especially in the second and third.”
The Canadiens often played a man short in the first period with three penalties. They successfully killed them all with strong defending but lost all rhythm.
Montreal took another infraction early in the second and Dylan Guenther opened the scoring for Utah just as the penalty expired.
"I don't think it was awful today,” said defenceman Jayden Struble, who scored for Montreal. “The penalties and stuff kind of played a factor, but we're getting closer and, I don't know, just sucks. Sucks losing. But we got another game tomorrow and then another back-to-back in a couple (of days)."
Alex Newhook also scored for Montreal, which lost its second in a row after a dismal 6-2 defeat to Vegas on Saturday. Sam Montembeault stopped 26 shots.
Jack McBain scored the other goal for Utah, and Karel Vejmelka made 11 saves on a light night.
"We kind of stayed inside, didn't let them penetrate,” Sergachev said. “Their team, they hold on to the puck. So it's us, but it's them too, they hold on to pucks, they don't waste shots.
“They got patient guys in there, good forwards that are not going to waste shots. But that's what we pre-scouted a little bit."
The Canadiens begin a three-game road trip against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday, followed by the New York Rangers on Saturday and the Boston Bruins on Sunday.
LAINE, MATHESON TO TRAVEL
A positive bit of news for Montreal: defenceman Mike Matheson and forward Patrik Laine will travel on the road trip.
Matheson was a late scratch Tuesday due to a lower-body injury. The 30-year-old from nearby Pointe-Claire, Que., who leads the Canadiens in ice time, has one goal and 12 assists in 20 games this season and quarterbacks Montreal’s top power-play unit.
Laine has yet to play this season after spraining his left knee in a collision with Cédric Paré during a pre-season game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sept. 28. He opted not to undergo surgery.
The former 40-goal scorer was traded to the Canadiens on Aug. 19 in exchange for defenceman Jordan Harris and a 2026 second-round pick.
MAVERIC’S HOMECOMING
Utah rookie defenceman Maveric Lamoureux played his 15th NHL game and his first in front of friends and family at the Bell Centre. The 20-year-old from Laval, Que., was swarmed by reporters after morning skate and said the game experience was overwhelming.
"A little bit nerve wracking, for sure, stress but also joy,” he said. “When I jumped onto the ice for warm-ups and people were cheering, music, normally I'm in the stands listening to that. I got chills for sure. It was a great moment."
Lamoureux left midway through the first period after blocking a shot from Joel Armia with his left hand, but returned at the end of the frame.
"No matter what happened I think I was finishing that game,” he said. “I would've argued with the trainers. My hand will be OK."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024.
Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press