For the last time this season, the Montreal Canadiens graced the ice of the Bell Centre in front of their fans and battled hard to a close-fought 5-4 loss against the Boston Bruins. The Habs put on a show for their final outing, blasting goaltender Jeremy Swayman with 34 shots, but failed to outlast their historic rival.
In their loss, Montreal watched the Bruins celebrate their 65th win this season, an NHL record. While Boston will meet the Florida Panthers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Canadiens will select no lower than seventh overall in the upcoming 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
Canadiens Impressive Despite Loss
In a tale of two opposites, the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Bruins were put to the task against the inferior Canadiens. Out-shooting their Original Six rivals 34-21, the Canadiens held the lead on two occasions and looked like the better team for stretches in each period. Unfortunately, the powerhouse Bruins demonstrated why they’re the top dog in the league and overcame two one-goal deficits to seal the victory.
In a lost season, fans can only hope for their team to be competitive, even in a losing situation. The Canadiens provided just that and gave the Bell Centre faithful plenty to cheer for, just shy of winning the game. Boston opted to play the likes of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak, giving the Habs a tall mountain to climb and one they almost reached the top of.
Lucas Condotta’s Debut a Memorable One
In scoring his first NHL goal at the 3:27 mark of the first period, Lucas Condotta joined the likes of Rod Brind’Amour, Luc Robitaille, and Mario Lemieux in recording their first goal in the league on their first shot taken. Condotta joined the team on an emergency basis to fill in for Mike Hoffman and became the 39th player to skate for the Habs this season.
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The undrafted 25-year-old forward signed with the Canadiens last March after completing his final season with UMass-Lowell. In his first full season in the American Hockey League, Condotta registered 16 goals and 30 points in 71 games. Joel Teasdale, who made his debut one night prior, recorded his first NHL point with an assist on Condotta’s goal.
Canadiens’ Top Players Showed Up
In an injury-riddled season, Brendan Gallagher was among the pack who missed his fair share of games. It’s only natural that despite his drop-off in production, the Canadiens’ biggest shift disturber was on his game against the Bruins. Crashing the crease any chance he got, he registered a whopping seven shots on net and was among the team’s most noticeable players on the ice.
Nick Suzuki scored his 26th goal of the season, finishing in a tie with linemate Cole Caufield for the team lead. His 65th point makes his first season as captain the most productive since Vincent Damphousse earned that honour for the 1996-97 season and recorded 81 points. Joel Edmunson’s fight in the third period with forward A.J. Greer signaled that despite a forgettable season, the Canadiens still held their pride and went down swinging, both figuratively and literally.
What Remains for the Canadiens
Fortunately, it’s not all doom and gloom in Habs land, as the NHL Entry Draft is right around the corner. The Canadiens will continue rebuilding their team for years to come, and stocking the prospect cupboard and adding a top prospect within the first seven selections is an excellent opportunity to do just that. If Montreal jumps from fifth to first overall, they’ll become the first team to accomplish this feat since the New Jersey Devils pulled it off in 2017.