Call of the Wilde: Montreal Canadiens win their second straight in a shootout shading the Buffalo Sabres

They were separated by only a goal last spring in Game Seven of their second-round playoff series. This season, many believe the Buffalo Sabres aren’t as strong without Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram. However, Buffalo has drafted impressive talent to fill the gaps, including Noah Ostlund and Konsta Helenius, both of whom could become stars.

In the immediate future, though, anxiety lingers in the Sabres organization after Rasmus Dahlin’s back injury, as he stayed in Buffalo for Tuesday night’s contest at the Bell Centre.

The Montreal Canadiens dominated the Sabres over 60 minutes, outshooting them 34-17, yet the game went to overtime and then a shootout, with the Canadiens winning 4-3. Justice got the last word.

Wilde Horses

The Canadiens had to switch defensive pairings after Mike Matheson went day-to-day. Thankfully, the club has seen the recent return of Kaiden Guhle, who paired with Alexandre Carrier. That left Lane Hutson to find Noah Dobson on his right. The final pairing had Adam Engstrom and Arber Xhekaj.

It may sound unusual, but with Guhle’s increasingly sound play, the pecking order could change as Matheson ages. Matheson is the senior citizen on a very young blue line.

Guhle has the most upside, but he’s been injured so often that he hasn’t had a chance to live up to his first-round draft-pick status or his MVP award in the Western Hockey League playoffs for the Edmonton Oil Kings.

At only 24, Guhle still has upside. In his first two games back from a core injury that required surgery, he looks poised. It’s hard to keep up at the start of a season, but Guhle has had no issue, especially on penalty kills, where he brings the right skill set.

After the overtime concluded, Guhle cross-checked every Sabres player he could find, then punched Ryan McLeod. He didn’t care. He was hungry to be involved. Alexandre Carrier made a decisive, courageous block, killing the final penalty with three seconds remaining.

Hutson leads the blue line as he continues his point-per-game pace like last season. In the first, with a two-man advantage, the Canadiens had to seize the moment. Hutson did, firing a shot into the top corner from 30 feet. Guhle and Hutson were locked in for most of the ice time on the night.

Late in the second frame, it was a masterclass from Hutson. He took a pass from Zachary Bolduc, then deked two, looked at the net as if only a shot was on his mind as he moved to within 15 feet, then fed a backhand pass on to the tape of Josh Anderson who one-timed it home.

That put a bow on an outstanding first two periods as the Sabres mustered only nine shots on goal. That’s a far cry from what they were able to achieve offensively last playoffs when they broke down the Canadiens defence.

The other Canadiens goal in the first two periods was from Cole Caufield as he ripped a pass from Juraj Slafkovsky home for his third of the season. Nick Suzuki with the helper for his eighth point of the year in six games. A second point for both Caufield and Slafkovsky.

Another strong performance was turned in by Alex Newhook. He continues to look comfortable centring the line with Anderson and Chris Kreider. In the first period, Kreider and Anderson had a two-on-one that they handled beautifully with some give-and-go passes, but Anderson couldn’t convert.

Jake Evans hasn’t found the scoresheet yet, but he’s contributing. Evans work on the penalty kill was superb implicating all over the ice. He met attackers at the Buffalo blue nine stymying them, then he fought hard to clear pucks with good puck pressure. Evans stood out as intelligent all night.

This one went to an eventful shootout. The Canadiens scored on all three attempts. Caufield and Alexandre Texier ripped their shots, then Bolduc made a stunning move opening up the goalie’s legs then sliding it home mid-deke.

The Canadiens deserved to win. They dominated through out.

Wilde Goats 

With the Matheson injury, it was a chance for Engstrom to prove the organization made a sound move allowing Jayden Struble to play more minutes in Nashville. However, it was a not-ready-for-prime-time moment for Engstrom on his first shift.

Engstrom had a chance to clear and gave the puck away with little pressure and a lot of time. That’s a combination that shows a defender is not ready. He couldn’t make a proper decision with all the factors in his favour.

To compound the anxiety, the point shot went off his leg when he wasn’t looking at the play and ricocheted in to the net. Jacob Fowler had absolutely no chance as the shot was heading wide by four feet.

In the third period, it happened again. Josh Norris fired a harmless looking shot from 50 feet. Engstrom tried to block it and it hit the inside of his leg for another perfect deflection leaving Fowler no chance.

The Sabres tying marker was also a weak point shot just thrown at the net, and for a third time, it was a Canadiens player who put it in as this one went off Hutson. Domination by the Canadiens, but the Sabres get three goals to tie it.

Hockey is a game of chaos. All three goals for Buffalo could have just as easily hit the Canadiens defender and defected into the corner.

It was more frustration for Kirby Dach. In the first period, Dach took a penalty on the back-check as he didn’t keep his feet moving, then had to hold an attacker who was getting away from him. Dach is struggling.

They’d dress someone else, if they thought someone else in the organization could do better, but they are a bit thin with injuries to Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov.

Wilde Cards

The Canadiens are in desperate need of a second line centre. The management team may look for that hole to fill as soon as this trading deadline, but if they don’t find the right match, Michael Hage is showing he is ready for the assignment.

Hage is too good for college hockey in his third year. In his first four games of the season, Hage has 12 points. A point-per-game in college hockey is an excellent number. His average of three will go down, but it’s still an amazing start.

The competition has been easy so far allowing for the big totals. Bowling Green and Alaska are not dominant programs. This weekend, will be the real test to see if Hage can maintain these numbers. The Michigan Wolverines play the Denver Pioneers on the road on Thursday and Friday.

The other sparkling performance among the prospects so far this season for the Canadiens is a surprise. It’s Luke Middlestadt playing for the Laval Rocket. He has been an absolute star in the American Hockey League to start the season.

As a defender, Middlestadt has seven points in only four games. This, after a tremendous training camp in Montreal. Middlestadt had a strong four year career at the University of Minnesota. He may be a stunning steal in the seventh round 197th overall.

The fear is that he is too small at under six feet, but he didn’t have any issues in camp being pushed around, nor does he have any issues in Laval. Middlestadt is only one point off the league scoring lead. That lead is held by another Rocket player Laurent Dauphin.

Brian Wilde, a Montreal-based sportswriter, brings you Call of the Wilde on globalnews.ca after each Canadiens game.