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Penalties sink the Habs in (another) game that gets out of hand

 Jessica Williams
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Penalties sink the Habs in (another) game that gets out of hand
Credit: Getty Images
Tonight, the Canadiens were at the Bell Centre to take on the Senators. After an emotional game on Saturday night, the club was probably hoping for a quieter match.

That’s not exactly what happened.

For the occasion, here are the Habs trios:

The Senators, on the other hand, had a bigger lineup than the Habs.

It looked like this on the visitors’ side:

Here are the 10 most important points to remember from this match, won by the Senators 4-3 :

1. Once again tonight, we were treated to some ugly moves from both sides. In the first period, Kirby Dach was the victim of the first, and for a second, we dreaded seeing him join Patrik Laine and David Reinbacher in the infirmary.

Because we all agree that Ridly Greig’s hit wasn’t exactly a sporting gesture.

In the second period, however, things got even worse. Arber Xhekaj looked like he wanted to avenge Dach (who came back into the game early in the second period)… and he didn’t exactly do it like a gentleman.

He made a rather dirty gesture against Tim Stützle… and it didn’t exactly make Brady Tkachuk happy.

In doing so, Xhekaj received a game misconduct for the second time in two games. He also received a five-minute penalty… and it hurt the Habs.

More on that later.

2. The first goal of the match was scored by Jake Evans. He took advantage of a mistake by Carter Yakemchuk to open the scoring.

Evans isn’t exactly a Hart Trophy contender, but his impact on the Habs shouldn’t be underestimated. As a fourth center, he gets the job done.

3. Early in the second period, seeing Kirby Dach back reassured many fans. Losing him a few days after seeing Patrik Laine injured would have been a catastrophe for the Habs top-6.

And clearly, Dach seemed at ease on the ice. He had a good game and, more importantly, scored his team’s second goal.

The Habs need to see Dach blossom this year, and that’s even more true in the wake of Laine’s injury.

4. Earlier, I told you about Arber Xhekaj’s five-minute penalty… and it really hurt the Canadiens in this game. The massive Ottawa attack took to the ice, and even without Tim Stützle and Brady Tkachuk, who left the game after the Xhekaj saga due to injury, they found a way to make the Habs pay.

She didn’t do it once…

She didn’t do it twice…

Well, three times.

And of course, who better to give the Sens the lead than Ridly Greig?

After seeing Dach score on his return to the game, the Senators took advantage of Xhekaj’s indiscipline to score three times.

Martin St-Louis will probably not be a satisfied customer… especially as the special units are pitiful.

5. The short-handedness really hurt the Habs in this game. All four of the Senators’ goals were scored while on the powerplay, and the Habs had no answer even with Tkachuk and Stützle out.

Carter Yakemchuk scored his team’s fourth goal on the man advantage.

6. If the man disadvantage is a problem, so is the Habs’ powerplay. The club was once again blanked with the man advantage… and has now been blanked on every one of its 24 opportunities during the preparatory schedule.

Not exactly what you want.

7. In a game that was a circus, Kirby Dach finally decided to get even with Ridly Greig. He decided to throw down the gloves against the man who hit him solidly in the first period, and he got his message across.

He can fight, #77.

8. Oliver Kapanen was being closely watched tonight as he battled for a spot in Montreal. With Patrik Laine sidelined, he has a chance to prove his worth.

And while he didn’t particularly steal the show on the wing, Kapanen made his presence felt when he returned to center after the Dach fight.

He hit the target… and maybe earned a few points for it.

9. In a game where Arber Xhekaj was sent off, Jayden Struble once again found a way to make his presence felt. He once again showed his composure… he who is proving that he deserves a regular spot on the Habs brigade.

Could this come at Xhekaj’s expense? Quite possibly.

10. Emil Heineman had a little highlight for himself in the first period, when he made a complete mockery of Jake Sanderson to get a great scoring chance.

He couldn’t make it count, but still.

The Senators eventually prevailed by a score of 4-3.

The two teams will cross swords again on Saturday night, this time in Ottawa, in what will be the final game of the Habs’ pre-season schedule.


Overtime

– Thomas Chabot left the game in the third period. It’s safe to assume that, with the tension in the air, the Senators didn’t want to take any chances.

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