Even though he didn’t put on his skates for the game, PK Subban earned a star in the Canadiens’ win over the Nashville Predators.
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His speech and celebration (triple low five) with Carey Price gave Martin St-Louis’ men a good dose of energy. They had an inspired start to the game, one of the team’s lacklusters in recent weeks.
“He did his job,” said Martin St-Louis with a smile after the game. He brought energy. PK was honored not only for what he accomplished on the ice, but also off it.
“We conceded the first goal of the game but we still had a good first half. We kept fighting. I’m happy that the boys are being rewarded.
“Not only the victory is important, but also how we achieved it.”
Paid strategy
St. Louis changed their approach, using 11 forwards and seven defenders. It was the right decision.
Jonathan Drouin, who turned the fourth session, had his best game of the season with three assists. He orchestrated the power play as he orchestrated both of Cole Caufield’s goals.
Despite his excellent performance, the Quebec native was not available to answer journalists’ questions. That’s a shame.
The connection between Drouin and Caufield appears to be well established. St-Louis will have to keep their fingers crossed that it continues to work in the next few games.
When Arber Xhekaj dropped the gloves against Tanner Jeannot, St-Louis could count on the presence of Justin Barron on defense, who would replace him in the rotation. He’s had some good times.
Still Montbeault
The Preds put a lot of pressure on the defense in the last five minutes of the game. They even used Mikael Granlund in defense to give them more punch in offense.
On the other side they met a great Samuel Montembeault. Playing a second straight game, the Quebecer saved 39 pucks. That total would have been higher were it not for his teammates’ 24 blocked shots.
His defenders also put in a good performance. Among them, Xhekaj was at his best as he dealt several good checks. He was like a duck in water in a tough game.