Call of the Wilde: Montreal Canadiens win convincingly over the Bruins in Boston

It was the first time that the Montreal Canadiens battled for first place in a head-to-head this season. It doesn’t get bigger in November than the Bruins in Boston for the Canadiens.

Montreal has counted points in 12 straight games with a solid 5-2 win.

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The Bruins had lost at home only once the entire season. They have been an absolute force imposing their will over everyone but Ottawa playing in Boston. They sure didn’t find all that success playing like they did against the Canadiens in the first period.

Jeremy Swayman has been the primary reason they’ve had such success. He’s been one of the league’s best behind only Jesper Wallstedt and Jacob Fowler in Goals Saved Above Expected. However, Swayman was completely asleep in this one.

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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.

Both the Bruins defenders and Swayman were slow on the second Canadiens goal as well. Boston had a weak shot covered easily with two defenders in the crease and Swayman there too. They all watched, though, as Josh Anderson skated through the blue paint to whack it home.

Just a sensational start to the season for Anderson in his contract year. Only a couple seasons ago, there were fears that Anderson was at the end of his tether. Suddenly, he’s the second leading goal scorer in the Canadiens after a quarter of the season with eight.

Anderson could easily have four more goals, too, if he scored on his breakaway attempts, of which he has missed every single one.

The Bruins have allowed the fewest goals in the league, so the offensive output was a surprise for Montreal. The Canadiens also won the goaltending battle.

While Swayman was struggling, Jacob Fowler had a Goals Saved Above Expected at 1.91 in only 25 minutes of play. The Bruins came out with huge intensity in the second, but Fowler weathered the storm, then Montreal scored on its first chance.

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Anderson with a superb pass to a streaking Jake Evans. He had back pressure on his breakaway from centre ice, but he won the speed battle, then went five-hole on Swayman. It was an even game, yet Montreal was up by three.

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The league’s best defensive team continued to fall apart as Boston allowed Cole Caufield a breakaway as well. His shot was so perfect that Swayman didn’t move. In fact, the next move Swayman made was to skate to the bench to be replaced. Caufield with 12 goals on the season.

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The first chance that back-up goalie Michael DiPietro faced the Canadiens scored on that as well.  Zachary Bolduc made a tremendous play showing shot, then passed to Phillip Danault to one-time it home. It was a massive 5-0 Montreal late second period.

The Canadiens had only five solid chances in 40 minutes, yet had five goals. In fact, the Expected Goals were 2.91 to 2.54 in favour of Boston for two periods. Goaltending matters. Boston didn’t get any, and Fowler was his usual excellent self.

The theme of the third period was obvious. Montreal’s only weakness this season has been an inability to hold a lead effectively. The hockey has been far too exciting when it should be boring. The Canadiens have not been able to dictate the game with the lead in the same manner that they did to earn the lead.

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This time, despite allowing an early goal, they were able to keep the game quiet on the way to a comfortable win.

One final positive note is the Canadiens welcomed back Mike Matheson as he paired with Kaiden Guhle. That is two left-handed defenders, but it worked with a the best Expected Goals share on the night for Montreal. Guhle was a workhorse again blocking any shot that he could find. Guhle is playing the best hockey of his career.

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The Canadiens are in first place in the Atlantic Division. They have earned points in 12 straight games. No goats, however, one sour note as Chris Kreider may have suffered a serious 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. It ended up that Kreider got kneed; not with a knee, but with a hip.

Kreider was unable to put any weight at all on his leg as he hopped down the tunnel to be taken care of.

That type of collision against the side of the leg is often a ligament injury and it’s often serious.

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Canadiens management could have some extremely difficult choices in front of them this April. However, it’s the type of difficult that every GM is hoping to have. When Michael Hage and Alexander Zharovsky arrive, as expected, in April, the club will have far too many forwards.

Zharovsky has often been thought of as trade bait, but he is playing so well that he is becoming untouchable for a trade. Zharovsky started his sophomore KHL season slowly, but now he is absolutely on fire. Zharovsky has 19 points in 24 games. He is better than a point-per-game in his last 10. He’s moving into the top-ten in league scoring quickly.

It isn’t just that he is picking up points, though. It is how he is scoring his points. Zharovsky has some highlight reel moments in the KHL just like Ivan Demidov before him. He makes his opponent look silly at times weaving through players with ease.

As it stands now, a fully healthy forward group, with the return of Demidov, already has Owen Beck, and Florian Xhekaj, and perhaps Kirby Dach on the sidelines.

When management makes room for Hage and Zharovsky, on the sidelines would potentially be Beck, Xhekaj, Dach, Alexandre Texier and Oliver Kapanen. This is an embarrassment of riches.

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This is five extra NHL calibre forwards. Next June, they will also have approximately $29 million to spend to strengthen the top-six as well. The roster next season is a complete mystery at the forward position.

The depth is there, but the real goal is to have a top-six that is upper echelon. That’s why the best at the GM job know never trade away anyone with a possible high ceiling. Zharovsky and Hage must stay in the organization until a better view of their NHL potential is known.

With an expected 17 NHL-ready forwards in April, it will be fascinating to watch how that turns into 12. What a stunningly powerful rebuild.

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