[Recap/Boxscore](https://www.nhl.com/gamecenter/2022020910)
###Boxscore
|Teams|1st|2nd|3rd|Total|
|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|
|[](/r/habs)|1|2|2|5|
|[](/r/devils)|1|0|1|2|
###Team Stats
|Team|Shots|Hits|Blocked|FO Wins|Giveaways|Takeaways|Power Plays|
|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|
|[](/r/habs)|18|15|28|37.3%|12|8|0/2|
|[](/r/devils)|39|16|9|62.7%|16|6|1/3|
###Goal Summary
|Period|Time|Team|Strength|Description|
|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|:–:|
|3rd|16:13|[](/r/habs)|Even|Mike Matheson (3) Wrist Shot, assists: Christian Dvorak (16)|
|3rd|11:58|[](/r/devils)|Power Play|Dawson Mercer (16) Snap Shot, assists: Miles Wood (10), Jack Hughes (36)|
|3rd|05:13|[](/r/habs)|Even|Rem Pitlick (4) Snap Shot, assists: Evgenii Dadonov (14), Christian Dvorak (15)|
|2nd|03:42|[](/r/habs)|Even|Nick Suzuki (18) Snap Shot, assists: Mike Hoffman (14), Corey Schueneman (1)|
|2nd|02:29|[](/r/habs)|Even|Johnathan Kovacevic (2) Snap Shot, assists: Jesse Ylonen (5), Mike Matheson (11)|
|1st|13:48|[](/r/devils)|Even|Jesper Bratt (23) Slap Shot, assists: Jack Hughes (35)|
|1st|03:54|[](/r/habs)|Even|Justin Barron (3) Snap Shot, assists: Nick Suzuki (26), Rafael Harvey-Pinard (3)|
###Penalty Summary
|Period|Time|Team|Type|Min|Description|
|:–:|:–:|:-:|:–:|:–:|:–:|
|3rd|10:27|[](/r/habs)|Minor|2|Justin Barron Holding against Nico Hischier|
|3rd|01:33|[](/r/habs)|Minor|2|Jonathan Drouin Tripping against Yegor Sharangovich|
|3rd|00:40|[](/r/devils)|Minor|2|Dawson Mercer Hooking against Rafael Harvey-Pinard|
|2nd|11:25|[](/r/devils)|Minor|2|Brendan Smith Holding against Christian Dvorak|
|2nd|08:09|[](/r/habs)|Minor|2|Christian Dvorak Hooking against Tomas Tatar|
by HockeyMod
34 Comments
That was a disaster.
Habs will miss out on a higher lotto spot by 2 points.
That team is gonna win the Bedard sweepstakes, and they’ll be a western team.
This is the win that screws the Habs. Completely ignoring every other one. This is it.
Glad that nightmare is over. Devil’s suddenly forgot how to play defense and faced a brick wall tonight.
Better sharpen up with the Kings and Flyers coming up. Can’t be playing this horribly down the stretch.
Montembault allows 6 to the Canes in his last game and then stonewalls us, fucking annoying. Also I don’t care how decent Brendan Smith is for a majority of the game, he has at least one huge miscue (usually leading to a goal) and a penalty a night. Stop giving him minutes. And score the first goal for once! See ya Thursday
Goalied
This game was gross. Montembeault was gross. Devils defensive lapses were gross. Missed scoring chances were gross. Off night from Vanecek was gross.
Lets get back to that good Devils hockey on Thursday please.
A traditional February Devils game where the playoff-bound team takes the team that’s been out of the playoff race for months for granted.
Except traditionally it’s the Devils who are the lousy team that’s being taken for granted.
39 shots with 28 blocks is insane. Good effort out there
Good teams find ways to lose to Montreal.
That sucked but I can’t remember the Brendan Smith breakaway without cracking up so at least there’s that
I’m not that worried. We played well for most of the game, a couple defensive lapses, maybe some soft goals from Vitek, and getting goalie’d (or is it that we suck at finishing chances?).
The Rangers passing us makes very little difference. We’re the best road team in the NHL, I don’t mind ceding home ice in the first round.
Just a real bad game. Reminded me of previous years where we seemingly make the opposing teams goalie look like Hasek.
Either way, head up and move on. Maybe Meier, maybe not. Either way – playoffs.
I didn’t like that. On to Thursday.
felt like the NHL video game where you massively outshoot the opponent but still lose by 3
Carolina just won.
13-1-1 in their last fifteen games.
:cough: trap game :cough:
regardless they should have scored on about ten of those, what are you gonna do, take it out on the kings
Lotta defensive lapses, particularly from Sevo and Smith 🙁
Get smith of dougies pair. Vitek was god awful, Marino should not have played, fuck Savard for trying to hurt Jack.
Stop starting so slow and clean up the passing. That was a shit Montreal team that took advantage of horrible fuck ups in a game we mostly controlled even while sloppy. Good teams will eat us alive especially in the playoffs.
That was absolutely awful.
The goal where Haula and Zetterlund both blew their coverage was the worst. Good on Sal for calling that out. That should never happen especially when one of those guys was a veteran who should know better.
And c’mon Miles, bury a breakaway for once. That was a momentum killer.
Expected goals were 5-3 Devils. We got goalie’d.
https://twitter.com/devilsarmyblog/status/1628223807314882560?s=46&t=ssq36T–i7Ves2CgKy9fHQ
Mission failed, we’ll get em next time
4.94-2.46 in the xG department
* I am not stressed or worried or any negative emotion because of this game. It happens. Its annoying but at the end of the day it is absolutely fine. A goalie has a crazy good game.
* However, Lindy needs to work on making sure we have strong starts. Even if they’re offensively slow, defense needs to kick in as soon as the puck drops and then offense can build up how it usually does.
* I love the drama and the theatrics of our come from behind wins and having faith in this team to win no matter how the games start, but this is not a good habit to form and it is something that was a problem during our win streak, during our bad December, during our lucky January, and this month as well.
* We also need to keep on working on playing responsible D and clearing/exiting the zone.
* E**ND THE DOUGIE-SMITH D PAIRING IMMEDIATELY. IMMEDIATELY.**
* We have two games left in February. Lets get wins and points from those and get ready for a very tough March ahead. (Literally)
* Jack Hughes has a bad game and still comes away with two points. What-a-man.
* Dawson Mercer is emerging. He is *not* leaving New Jersey. I refuse.
* Zetterlund did not have a good game tonight.
* I still love the Vitek.
* In February, thus far, we are 5-2-1. We have eleven points out of a possible sixteen.
* I’ll be at the Kings game on Thursday. Its my first game where I’m going all alone, so I’ll probably spend most of the game on this sub.
**LGD**
If we have to lose, I’m glad it’s to an inconsequential team. I thought Jack had a somewhat mediocre game and frequently did that thing where it feels like he’s forcing it too much. Zetterlund was invisible much of the night, the defense had some major lapses. I feel like Tatar got a little pissed when he didn’t get the look for the one timer early and seemed a little off the rest of the night, but I might have completely fabricated that narrative in my head in an attempt to distract from what I was watching.
But realistically, this game was won and lost by goaltending. Montembault played exceptionally well, and it was Vitek’s worst performance in a while. Hopefully he can put it behind him, I think he probably can. (And it’s nice that the fanbase doesn’t seem to be particularly negative about him tonight, imagine if Blackwood had this exact performance)
Above all else, I just want to say, who’s a good boy? *Who’s a good boy?* Dawson is! Dawson’s a good boy. Yes he is.
Goodnight all. Let’s just plan to have a much more enjoyable time Thursday.
Pathetic showing…but a reminder that we have a long way to go
Shit, I guess I shouldn’t have laughed too hard at the rangers getting goalied to Winnipeg last night
Jack and Bratt on a line is something that needs to be injected into my veins every night.
They were incredible to watch tonight.
Dawson scores that breakaway goal and I feel like it’s a different game through the third.
At least we didn’t put up 51 shots on Hellebuyck and still lose like the rangers last night. I’ve watched way more disappointing hockey the last 9 years
Also Damon saved a goal at a key moment, to all the vintage idiots out there.
Lindy just announced tomorrow will be an off day because the team needs rest
Lindy says multiple plays dealing with illness, not just Marino
4 goals on 17 shots (excluding EN) the vitek special. we loved him in washington but his ceiling is a very good backup.
Feels like we’ve been having a lot of our shots blocked the last few games
Seemed like everyone was sick today, they also got goalied pretty badly. It happens.
P.s
Fuck San Jose for even thinking about getting Mercer. Heard you guys wanted picks and prospects. Nor a young top 6 forward -_-
Team looked rough tonight, definitely not alot of good.
However, Dawson continues to be a fucking stud in the top 6 and Woody got a point AND didnt take a penalty the whole game.
Fuck it, half the team is sick, I’ll take that and the L, get some rest tomorrow boys, yous have earned it.