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It was Hockey Fights Most cancers evening Saturday on the Bell Centre.

Naturally, this version of The Hidden Recreation should be devoted to all of the courageous younger youngsters battling this dreaded illness — 12 of whom have been introduced onto the ice throughout an exquisite pre-game ceremony, taken by hand by the dozen Vegas and Canadiens gamers within the beginning lineups.

And kudos to Josh Anderson, who picked up his little tyke, clearly overwhelmed and intimidated by his environment, apprehensive about his stability. We want all of them the power and braveness to beat this.

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And now again to our often scheduled programming on an evening throughout which the Canadiens moist the mattress, shedding 6-2.

Information you want (Half I): Bruce Cassidy wasn’t adequate for the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins, fired by each organizations regardless of main the latter to the 2019 Stanley Cup closing, shedding to St. Louis within the seventh and deciding sport. Cassidy, now the Vegas head coach, received his four-hundredth profession sport Thursday at Ottawa. As for the Bruins, they lately fired head coach Jim Montgomery. And also you thought the Canadiens have been a large number.

Information you want (Half II): The Canadiens have misplaced each sport this season when permitting the primary aim.

Information you want (Half III): Jack Eichel, the gifted Golden Knights centre, had a aim and two assists towards Montreal, giving him seven objectives and 32 factors this season. He grew to become the quickest participant in Vegas historical past to succeed in 30 factors, requiring solely 21 video games. Mark Stone wanted 24 contests to succeed in that complete in 2020-21.

We’re noticing a development right here: Vegas has now received seven consecutive video games towards the Canadiens. Curiously, the earlier 5 had been determined by just one aim.

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Information you want (Half IV): Vegas has now scored 81 objectives this season. That’s good.

Quickest olé chant of the evening: Some leather-lunged spectator began singing it within the sport’s opening minute, maybe fuelled by alcohol. By the second interval, with the Canadiens trailing 5-0, many within the crowd have been braying. Deservedly so.

We’ll at all times have these two-game profitable streaks: For the second time this season, the Canadiens didn’t win a 3rd consecutive sport. Montreal hasn’t received three straight since late March. Two-game profitable streaks work if a crew’s capturing two of each three contests. The Canadiens clearly will not be.

A lot for the quick begin: With the crew taking part in for the primary time since final Monday, Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis had each motive to anticipate his gamers would come out flying towards Vegas, taking part in its third highway sport in 4 days. As an alternative, the house crew generated 5 photographs by way of the sport’s opening 12 minutes, and 6 in complete following the primary interval.

First-period stat: Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki was credited with three of these six photographs.

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Rely a lot? Montreal was responsible of getting too many gamers on the ice barely two minutes into the sport.

He obtained his cash’s value: Vegas defenceman Nicolas Hague laid the lumber on Jake Evans, cross-checking him into goaltender Adin Hill, and acquired a minor penalty late within the first interval.

Information you want (Half V): Nicolas Roy didn’t draw an help on Vegas’s opening aim, scored by Tomas Hertl, however was instrumental within the play, screening Samuel Montembeault.

Information you want (Half VI): That was the primary aim Montreal allowed in eight durations. It wouldn’t be the final on this evening.

Giveaway of the evening (Half I): Not solely does Kirby Dach proceed struggling offensively, his turnover within the defensive zone finally resulted within the guests’ second aim.

How to not verify: Juraj Slafkovsky on that aim, scored by Callahan Burke. It was his first profession aim. And whereas we’re considering of it, what sort of a hockey identify is Callahan Burke? Man must be working a hedge fund.

Giveaway of the evening (Half II): Slafkovsky on Vegas’s third aim.

When it rains, it pours: The Golden Knights scored three objectives in a span of two:17 and required a modest 12:23 to attain their 5 second-period objectives.

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Second-period stat: Slafkovsky was minus-4 within the second interval alone. The man was on the ice for 4 of Vegas’s 5 objectives and was relegated to the Canadiens’ fourth line by interval’s finish.

Cross of the evening: Joel Armia to Emil Heineman on the Canadiens’ opening aim.

Nicest aim whereas falling to the ice: Heineman.

How to not take a breakaway: Armia had a third-period breakaway whereas Montreal was short-handed. By some means, he managed to shoot huge. We perceive Armia is an honest darts participant. Hopefully, he’s extra correct at that.

Solo effort: Brendan Gallagher seems to be labouring at instances — considerably predictable contemplating the quantity of punishment he endures whereas going to the web. However he did the heavy lifting on the Canadiens’ second aim, scored by Jayden Struble.

Stats of the evening: Regardless of the 6-2 defeat, Anderson was a plus-1. Gallagher, Armia and Christian Dvorak have been all even. Lane Hutson was minus-3. Montembeault’s save share was .800. He was changed by Cayden Primeau for the third interval. Primeau allowed one aim on three photographs for a save share of .667.

They mentioned it: “It was properly deserved,” Slafkovsky mentioned of his fourth-line position. “I in all probability need to work my ass off. There’s nothing else I can do proper now. While you’re minus-4, I don’t even know what to say. I feel it’s unhealthy decision-making.”

“We performed a fairly good sport within the first and third,” Suzuki mentioned. “We simply let it slip away within the second. Some unhealthy turnovers value us. They’re a very good crew they usually took benefit.”

“We answered the bell a bit of bit extra within the third interval,” Dach mentioned. “There’s actually good groups on this league the place for those who take day off, they’re going to harm you. Now we have to discover a technique to play a whole 60 minutes each evening.”

“It’s clearly irritating. You by no means need to get pulled,” Montembeault mentioned. “(St. Louis) needed to alter the momentum.”

hzurkowsky@postmedia.com

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