It was the first time that the Montreal Canadiens battled for first place in a head-to-head this season.
asserted
Canadiens → battle → head
It doesn’t get bigger in November than the Bruins in Boston for the Canadiens.
asserted
It → get → Canadiens
Montreal has counted points in 12 straight games with a solid 5-2 win.
asserted
Montreal → count → win
Wilde Horses
The Bruins had lost at home only once the entire season.
asserted
Bruins → lose → home
They have been an absolute force imposing their will over everyone but Ottawa playing in Boston.
asserted
They → impose → Boston
They sure didn’t find all that success playing like they did against the Canadiens in the first period.
asserted
they → find → period
Jeremy Swayman has been the primary reason they’ve had such success.
asserted
they → have → success
He’s been one of the league’s best behind only Jesper Wallstedt and Jacob Fowler in Goals Saved Above Expected.
asserted
He → save → Goals
Credit to Kirby Dach for opening the scoring on the wraparound, but Swayman was extremely slow getting to the other side of the net to cover it.
asserted
Swayman → open → it
Boston had a weak shot covered easily with two defenders in the crease and Swayman there too.
asserted
shot → have → crease
They all watched, though, as Josh Anderson skated through the blue paint to whack it home.
asserted
Anderson → watch → it
Only a couple seasons ago, there were fears that Anderson was at the end of his tether.
asserted
Anderson → be → tether
Suddenly, he’s the second leading goal scorer in the Canadiens after a quarter of the season with eight.
asserted
he → ’ → eight
Anderson could easily have four more goals, too, if he scored on his breakaway attempts, of which he has missed every single one.
uncertain
he → have → one
The Bruins have allowed the fewest goals in the league, so the offensive output was a surprise for Montreal.
asserted
output → allow → Montreal
The Canadiens also won the goaltending battle.
asserted
Canadiens → win → battle
While Swayman was struggling, Jacob Fowler had a Goals Saved Above Expected at 1.91 in only 25 minutes of play.
asserted
Fowler → struggle → play
The Bruins came out with huge intensity in the second, but Fowler weathered the storm, then Montreal scored on its first chance.
asserted
Montreal → come → chance
He had back pressure on his breakaway from centre ice, but he won the speed battle, then went five-hole on Swayman.
asserted
he → have → Swayman
The league’s best defensive team continued to fall apart as Boston allowed Cole Caufield a breakaway as well.
asserted
Boston → continue → breakaway
His shot was so perfect that Swayman didn’t move.
asserted
Swayman → move → ?
In fact, the next move Swayman made was to skate to the bench to be replaced.
asserted
Swayman → make → bench
The first chance that back-up goalie Michael DiPietro faced the Canadiens scored on that as well.
asserted
DiPietro → back → that
Zachary Bolduc made a tremendous play showing shot, then passed to Phillip Danault to one-time it home.
asserted
Bolduc → make → it
The Canadiens had only five solid chances in 40 minutes, yet had five goals.
asserted
Canadiens → have → goals
Boston didn’t get any, and Fowler was his usual excellent self.
asserted
Fowler → get → any
Montreal’s only weakness this season has been an inability to hold a lead effectively.
asserted
weakness → hold → lead
The Canadiens have not been able to dictate the game with the lead in the same manner that they did to earn the lead.
asserted
they → dictate → lead
This time, despite allowing an early goal, they were able to keep the game quiet on the way to a comfortable win.
asserted
they → allow → win
One final positive note is the Canadiens welcomed back Mike Matheson as he paired with Kaiden Guhle.
asserted
he → welcome → Guhle
That is two left-handed defenders, but it worked with a the best Expected Goals share on the night for Montreal.
asserted
it → work → Montreal
Guhle was a workhorse again blocking any shot that he could find.
uncertain
he → block → that
Guhle is playing the best hockey of his career.
asserted
Guhle → play → career
They have earned points in 12 straight games.
asserted
They → earn → games
No goats, however, one sour note as Chris Kreider may have suffered a serious injury.
uncertain
Kreider → suffer → injury
Michael Eyssimont lost his balance, or intended to fall to make a play, whatever it was, it was awkward as he fell into Kreider.
asserted
he → lose → Kreider
It ended up that Kreider got kneed; not with a knee, but with a hip.
asserted
Kreider → end → hip
Call of the Wilde: Montreal Canadiens keep rolling with a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs
asserted
Canadiens → keep → Leafs
Kreider was unable to put any weight at all on his leg as he hopped down the tunnel to be taken care of.
asserted
he → put → care
That type of collision against the side of the leg is often a ligament injury and it’s often serious.
asserted
it → ’ → leg
…and 19 more, not listed.
The Aporia
