One of the quirks of this pandemic-driven NHL season has been the adoption of the so-called baseball schedule, which sees teams go on the road and play multiple games against the same opponent.
The Canadians are currently encamped in Edmonton, where they couldn’t take too much time to savour Saturday night’s 5-1 win over the Oilers because they have to prepare for rematch at Rogers Place on Monday ( 9 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN Radio 690 ).
Coach Claude Julien said the results in the first week of play indicate teams can’t take anything for granted.
“The Islanders beat the Rangers in their first game and tonight was just the opposite,” Julien said. “Teams adjust and there’s also a sense of revenge. You saw Edmonton lose to Vancouver in their first game and then they came back in the second game they were a much better team.
“It’s also important not to think that this convincing win is going to give us an edge in the next game,” Julien added. “We park this game and take the two points because they’re important, but we have to realize we’ll probably face a tougher opponent on Monday.”
Goaltender Carey Price was the best player on the ice as he made 34 saves. He set the tone for this game when he stopped Oilers superstar Connor McDavid on a breakaway in the first period. He carried a shutout deep into the third period before he was beaten by Slater Koekkoek, the second-best player to come out of Larry Robinson’s hometown of Winchester, Ont.
There have been discussions about how many starts Price will make this season, but he’ll make his third consecutive appearance Monday against the Oilers. Backup Jake Allen will see his first action later in the week when the Canadiens travel to Vancouver to play the Canucks three times in four nights.
The Oilers will come back with Mikko Koskinen because they don’t have a choice. Koskinen, who has a 4.04 goals-against average and an .892 save percentage through three games, is the only Edmonton goaltender with NHL experience after veteran Mike Smith went on the long-term injured reserve list Friday with an undisclosed injury.
Edmonton lost Anton Forsberg to waivers and their current No. 2 is 22-year-old Stuart Skinner, who has never played an NHL game. Their third goalie will be Olivier Rodrigue, a Chicoutimi native who has been playing in Austria.
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The Canadiens’ depth allowed Julien to roll four lines and keep his players fresh for the rematch. Defenceman Jeff Petry and forward Tomas Tatar each scored twice, while fourth-liner Jake Evans scored a shorthanded goal.
“When you look at the whole season, it’s like you play every second night (and) it may not look like much now but, as the season goes on, it will make a big difference,” Julien said. “You don’t want to wear your players down when you don’t have to. When you have good depth and the balance of your group is pretty good, everyone’s accepted it. There may be games where you have to lean on some guys more than normal, but at least when you’re ready to do that, the guys will be fresh enough to do that. We’re trying to be smart here from start to finish.”
There was a scary moment late in the game when Josh Anderson, who missed most of last season with a shoulder injury that required surgery, fell awkwardly into the boards while attempting to deliver a check.
Anderson didn’t play over the final five minutes, but Julien said there was no reason for concern and he kept Anderson out because he wanted to give more ice time to his fourth line.
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