In his first game at the Bell Center with another team, the former Hab scores a goal in the Hurricanes’ 4-1 win. Montreal is now 0-5 on the season.
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There is a great French saying: “When it goes wrong, it goes wrong.”
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Translation: When it goes bad, it goes bad.
Things are going badly for the Canadiens, who lost 4-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night in front of 19,174 fans at the Bell Center. The Canadiens are now 0-5-0, their worst start since 1995-96, when they were also 0-5-0. The Hurricanes are now 3-0-0.
Sebastian Aho scored twice, while Andrei Svechnikov and, yes, Jesperi Kotkaniemi also scored for the Hurricanes, which made matters worse. Tyler Toffoli scored for the Canadiens.
The Canadiens have now been outscored 19-4 in their five games and are the only NHL team without a single point in the standings.
It looked like things were going to go pretty early for the Canadiens as they appeared to take a 1-0 lead at 5:33 in the first period when Brendan Gallagher deflected on a Chris Wideman point shot in, wait, power. play!
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But it was too good to be true after the Hurricanes asked for a video review for goalkeeper interference.
No goal!
From the NHL Situation Room: “Video review determined that Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher had a significant presence in the penalty area that affected goalkeeper Frederik Andersen’s ability to play his position before goal. The decision was made in accordance with Rule 69.1, which states in part, ‘ Goals should be disallowed only if: (1) an attacking player, either by position or by contact, impairs the goalkeeper’s ability to move freely within his area or defend his goal ”.
As if things weren’t bad enough for Canadians.
Unsurprisingly, Kotkaniemi was booed loudly the first time he hit the ice early in the first period and again basically every time he touched the puck, especially after scoring. It was Kotkaniemi’s first game at the Bell Center since he left the Canadiens during the offseason and signed a one-year offer with the Hurricanes. The 21-year-old could have muffled the boos by stuffing his ears with the $ 6.1 million the Hurricanes will pay him this season.
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Kotkaniemi had a great opportunity to open the scoring with just over three minutes remaining in the first period, when he found himself alone in front of Canadiens goalkeeper Jake Allen who made the save.
After the Canadiens went 0 for 3 in the power play in the first period, Aho opened the score just 23 seconds into the second period in the Hurricanes’ first and only power play opportunity. It was the eighth power play goal the Canadians have allowed 18 opportunities for the opposition this season.
When things go wrong …
Things got even worse when Svechnikov led the Hurricanes 2-0 at 2:12 in the second period. Toffoli put the Canadiens on the board at 17:57 of the second period with a power play goal. Yes, it is true, and this was not a video review. It was the Canadiens’ first power play goal in 18 chances this season. They finished the game 1 of 6 on the power play and are now 1 of 19 on the season.
Kotkaniemi put the Hurricanes up 3-1 when he deflected on a shot at 9:23 of the third period for his first point of the season and Aho finished off an empty net with 39 seconds to go.
It could have been worse for Canadians.
At least they scored a goal.
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Reference-montrealgazette.com