Radio guy. Native Montrealer. Big music fan. Professional dog-sitter. My wife says I'm happily married & she's usually right.
Montreal
Joined April 2009
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Here are my three takeaways from tonight's 4-3 Montreal Canadiens shootout win over the Buffalo Sabres, brought to you by Snap Bar in Rigaud and Biggs in Hudson.
1 - The Clock Is Ticking on Dach
Time is running out on Kirby Dach's tenure in Montreal. He's been given opportunity after opportunity, chance after chance, and simply hasn't taken advantage.
He started last week riding shotgun with Juraj Slafkovsky in the top six and finished the week playing fewer than eight minutes, despite the fact that the Canadiens only had 11 forwards dressed.
Tonight, he took a bad, unnecessary penalty after getting outmuscled and losing position on Zach Benson.
The only reason Dach is still in the lineup is because the Canadiens are dealing with injuries. When healthy, this team simply doesn't have a clear role or spot for him.
Acquiring Dach was one of Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton's first significant moves since taking charge of the Canadiens, but it's time to cut their losses.
If reports are true that Montreal was offered a second-round pick over the summer and that the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers are "drooling" at the possibility of acquiring him, get those teams on the phone ASAP.
2 - Lane Hutson Has His Best Game of the Season
Yes, it's early, and it's not as though Lane Hutson has been playing poorly, but tonight we saw Hutson at his best.
Buffalo had no answers when he had the puck, and there just seemed to be so much more open ice for him to work with.
Hutson opened the scoring with a power-play goal, and while his shot isn't his greatest weapon, it was expertly placed, with Phil Danault providing an excellent screen after winning the faceoff.
If Hutson can re-establish himself as a legitimate shooting threat, it'll open up even more options for Montreal's power play.
He then set up Josh Anderson with a nifty pass, drawing two defenders toward him and completely opening up Anderson for a one-timer from the left side.
Hutson will have other performances like this over the course of the season, but Montreal might need him to take on an even bigger role, if that's possible, given the Matheson injury.
3 - Rough Night for Engström
Some of it was bad luck, but Adam Engstrom had a night to forget.
It started in the first period when he made a soft play on the puck, turning it over and setting off a sequence that ended with a shot deflecting off him and into his own net.
In the second period, he made a terrific defensive play, using his reach to take away what looked like a quality scoring chance for Buffalo as Zach Benson tried to find Jack Quinn all alone.
Then, Josh Norris banked another shot off Engström to pull Buffalo within one.
The Canadiens have made it clear that they believe Engstrom is an NHL player. They traded Jayden Struble to create more room on the blue line, and that belief could be put to the test if Mike Matheson misses any significant amount of time.
There's a lot to like about Engstrom's game, particularly his skating and ability to transport the puck. But this was definitely a performance he'll want to put behind him as quickly as possible.
@tsn690
Montreal's Bell Centre/October 2018. Phil walks onstage with the aid of a cane, & opens the show with a gorgeous rendition of Against All Odds. The long, loud standing ovation that followed, to welcome him back, was spine-tingling.
#evenko
#Montreal
Congratulations Team Canada on winning Gold!
You made us proud!
#cdnparalympics
Still quote lines from this movie! Pesci & Tomei were outstanding, and the supporting cast was excellent.
33 years ago today, My Cousin Vinny (1992) was released! 🎥
#Lovingthe80s #90sNostalgia #80smovie #MyCousinVinny
Interesting. In Homeward Bound, Sabrina switched 'cigarettes' in the second verse to 'airport lounges'.
#SNL50
Ken Connors retweeted
Here's my three takeaways from tonight's 3-2 Montreal Canadiens win over the Tampa Bay Lightning!!
1- Maybe Juraj Slafkovsky is a second half player. This season is starting to look very similar to last season for the first overall pick. Slafkovsky's strong play seems to coincide with GM Kent Hughes telling reporters at his midseason press conference that they want more out of one of their big building blocks. It might be a coincidence but he's playing with a lot more confidence and assertiveness in his game which is a great sign.
2- Alex Newhook had some great stretches of play last season but since the turn of the calendar he's been playing the best hockey of his NHL career. He's been getting multiple scoring chances every game and he's a big reason why the Canadiens aren't a one line team anymore. Newhook was another one of those acquisitions where Montreal was attempting to "accelerate" the rebuild and it's starting to look like a smart move.
3- When people wonder about the Montreal Canadiens making the playoffs, they talk about a wild card position. But is it out of the realm of possibility for them to get in via the third spot in the Atlantic? The good stretch of hockey has put the Canadiens within striking distance. And they showed tonight they can go toe-to-toe with the Lightning. The Habs will be tested when the games get a little tighter in the final two months of the season but it's hard not to believe they won't be up for the challenge.
Remember every RT, like and interaction helps!
@tsn690
What an incredible roar from the Bell Centre crowd on that late in OT pad save by Dobes. Electric.
Fantastic game.
@CanadiensMTL
What a treat it's been this weekend. Getting to enjoy these Florida games in the company of 2 of the best.
@PierreHoudeRDS
@DanRTSN
@CanadiensMTL
Ken Connors retweeted
Three takeaways from tonight's Montreal Canadiens' 5-2 win over the St Louis Blues.
1- Jake Evans has been Montreal's most consistent forward. He'll never produce huge offensive numbers but has played a solid two way game and has tried to drag his teammates into the fight when they've lacked emotion. Evans is in a contract year and it's going to be interesting to see if Montreal sees him as part of the long term plan, or will see what they can get at the trade deadline.
2- Kirby Dach's best game and it's not even close. The Habs look like a completely different team when he's on his game. And they so desperately need secondary scoring. There might be fluctuation in his play early this season but he's such an important piece of the rebuild. It was encouraging not only to see him score but he play with pace with the puck was consistently finding him.
3- The game featured the two favorites for the goaltending spots for Canada at the Four Nations Faceoff. Jordan Binnington made a highlight reel save on Jake Evans and Sam Montembeault made key saves early that helped settle his team down. They both also showed why they aren't locks to make the team and the starting job will go to whoever is playing best in three months from now.
Remember every RT and like helps. :)
@tsn690 #tsn690
Love this.
Cole Caufield will be changing numbers from 22 to 13 to honour Johnny Gaudreau. "Getting to play with your hero is something that most people only dream of. I was lucky enough to be Johnny’s teammate (...) it didn’t take long to realize how great of a person he was" @CTVMontreal
Love that venue. Have fun Sammy!
Check out Sugar Sammy at City Winery in Manhattan tonight at 7pm.
@sugarsammy #SugarSammy #NYCConcerts #NewYorkCity
nyc.com/events/sugar_sammy.1…
What a great call by the guys at Radio-Canada Sports on our Gold win in the Men's 4 x 100.
🥇Médaille🥇
Les Canadiens filent jusqu’à la victoire au relais 4 x 100 m! Andre De Grasse, Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake et Brendon Rodney sont champions olympiques de cette épreuve! 🔥
@KingsleySC
@De6rasse
@_Jeromeblake
@RodneyGetEm
@athleticscanada @TeamCanada #Paris2024 #rcsports #jeuxolympiques #athletisme
