Netminder makes 46 saves, but receives no offensive support as Montreal is shut out by Toronto for the second consecutive game.
TORONTO — The Canadiens are describing Carey Price’s bruised hand as a minor injury, but that might be the least of the team’s problems with the regular-season opener looming next week.
Backup goaltender Keith Kinkaid turned in another solid performance Wednesday night, but he had no offensive support as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Canadiens 3-0 at Scotiabank Arena. Kinkaid made 46 saves and looks capable of filling in if Price isn’t 100 per cent to start the season.
This was Toronto’s second shutout win over the Canadians this week, but this Leafs team was very different from the AHL-laden roster that posted a 3-0 win in Montreal on Monday.
This was the lineup that will start the season in Toronto. There were only two players who weren’t in the NHL last season, but the newcomers — Russian forward Ilya Mikheyev and Swedish defenceman Rasmus Sandin — have won spots in the NHL. Mikheyev arrives in North America after four seasons with Omsk Avangard in the KHL, while Sandin is a 19-year-old who is making the jump from the Marlies.
Trevor Moore, John Tavares and Auston Matthews scored the Toronto goals, with Matthews scoring on a power play.
Despite the lack of scoring, there was some encouraging news for Montreal.
After two lacklustre performances, Jesperi Kotkaniemi played a strong game. He struggled in the faceoff circle, but he carried the puck with authority and did a good job on the forecheck.
Nick Suzuki is going to be on the roster on opening night, but he will probably be on the wing. He was at centre Wednesday on a line with Jonathan Drouin and Charles Hudon and his hockey IQ and creativity are evident. But Suzuki has to play with top-end talent and there’s no room for him in the middle.
But then there’s Drouin. You hope this is a situation of a veteran who knows he’s going to make the team and is waiting for the regular season to move into top gear. The book on Drouin says he has great skills, but they aren’t translating into production on the ice. He had one shot on goal.
Canadiens goaltender Keith Kinkaid makes a save against Leafs’ Ilya Mikheyev during the second period at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night.
Cale Fleury wasn’t dressed, but his stock went up because Christian Folin didn’t play that well.
And then there’s the curious case of veteran Karl Alzner. The expectation is that he and his salary will once again be buried in Laval, but he has played two strong games since returning from a groin injury and could be the perfect fit as the seventh defenceman, a dependable veteran who won’t grouse if he doesn’t dress.
The Canadiens’ power play went 0-for-3, but did manage six shots on goal. None of those shots came from Shea Weber. He did have two shots in 5-on-5 situations, but he had trouble finding a lane on the power play. He had eight shots blocked.
Montreal thought it had a power-play goal in the second period, but the referee ruled that Hudon put the puck in with a kicking motion.
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September 26, 2019 at 08:49AM
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