After successfully ending their losing streak at five in San Jose on Tuesday, the Montreal Canadiens were faced with a daunting challenge on Wednesday in Los Angeles against the Kings. The Kings, a formidable ice hockey team, have been bolstered by the recent comeback of Drew Doughty.
Despite the Canadiens’ need to maintain their momentum, they were largely outplayed. The final score of 6-3 in favor of the Kings was quite generous to the Canadiens.
One shining light for the Canadiens was Alex Newhook. He consistently hinted at his potential to rise to a higher level in the sport. Newhook has been finding the perfect spots for shots and his skating ability is exceptional. His competitive drive is higher than ever, making him the standout forward for Montreal on the night.
Newhook utilized his speed to craft the Canadiens’ third goal, winning the zone before passing to Logan Mailloux, who executed a powerful shot. Despite Mailloux’s defensive errors, his offensive prowess is undeniable.
Alexandre Carrier notched the second goal but his contribution extended beyond that. He consistently made intelligent decisions on the ice, proving to be a reliable partner for Lane Hutson. Despite some critics deeming the partnership small, Carrier’s strong positioning and ability to work with Hutson proved instrumental.
Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher also had strong moments, charging to the net and demonstrating a commendable work rate. Despite a tough night, they managed to produce some quality moments.
However, the Kings were relentless, firing nine shots in the first 90 seconds. This served as a stark reminder that the Canadiens still have a long journey ahead in their rebuilding process. The team was dominated, with key players like Ivan Demidov needing to step up and others like Juraj Slafkovsky needing to improve.
Goalkeeper Jakub Dobes was under immense pressure from the opening seconds, with Los Angeles firing five shots in the first 45 seconds. The Kings’ aggressive play from the start contrasted sharply with the Canadiens’ more cautious approach.
Despite being outplayed for two periods, Montreal was only down by one goal. However, any optimism was quickly extinguished 15 seconds into the third period when Kirby Dach lost a puck battle, leading to another goal for the Kings.
In conclusion, the Canadiens experienced a challenging night defensively, with the Kings easily making lateral passes in the high slot. The final shot score was 38-21 in favor of the Kings, illustrating the need for Montreal to continue their rebuilding efforts.
Despite the defeat, the future looks promising with the likes of Alex Newhook, Alexandre Carrier, and Jakub Dobes showing their potential. The team’s challenge will be to consistently harness this potential in order to improve their standing in the NHL.
