It's like wizardry at this point...

It's like magic. Every Saturday night, without fail, Cole Caulfield shows up and does what he does best. Montreal, yeah, this game ended up being closer than it needed to be, but they pulled together. Back behind Cole Caulfield's two-goal performance and some incredible depth scoring from the on-fire Zachary Bolduc, Alex Texier pitching in as well, that French line doing some work, and even some other guys stepping up, Slavkovsky with two assists. David Reinbacher, Oliver Kapanen making their season debuts. It was a night that had a lot of us very excited, Jesse. Jacob Fowler got the net once again like I said a couple of season debuts we knew it was Saturday and the game did not disappoint look I I don't love you know giving up a shorthanded goal here and blowing the lead in the third period there but ultimately it was Montreal that got the win and if you're happy about it and you're ready for these daily videos make sure you're hitting subscribe we're trying to hit 30k by the end of the calendar year we've already gained 200 in the less than a week we've tried this so thank you so much for supporting us Jesse we'll take a little look at the box score here I mean there's so many guys that we could talk about in this game so many guys stepping up Texier Bolduc moved up to the first power play over Kreider Caulfield and may I don't even know where to start that this game to me it was a game that Montreal definitely deserved to win and I'm certainly glad we did because honestly my expectations are now sky high every time we head into a Saturday night matchup yeah and again I think we should start with Mr. Cold Coffee was the case of that Saturday night fever again how good is this guy this guy is gonna crack 50 goals this season he might be the best goal scorer in the NHL this very season the reason why he's just scoring so effortlessly where in fact it's it's as casual right for him to just be able to score here on a saturday night no big deal he's been there before and again when it's just coming so often and so easily for him that is just a huge unlock here for the Montreal Canadiens And again, my big takeaway from this though, Josh, is this team just needs more of a killer instinct. And I mean that in a good way, right? For all the opportunities that Cole Caulfield's getting early, they just have so many opportunities and it's just about taking advantage of it. And I'm not even upset about them. They're just putting themselves in so many opportunities where we saw like early on, Josh, like so many odd man rushes. Cole's getting so many opportunities right in the slot and we're just maybe missing the net. We're able to maybe just get some goals early. I think that's what it's all about. like the Montreal Canadiens actually realizing how good they are, right? Because there was moments in the second where we really could have just blown this game open, where truly it should be about 5-2. We're having them in for multiple minutes at a time. So I think it's, you know, maybe some, a couple more power play goals. Maybe it's just getting that puck on the net a little bit early there. I just see it going back to a couple more games. I think that they're going to realize it over time and the goals are truly going to come for this team. They definitely are. And again, if the advanced metrics continue staying the way that they're staying, it's gonna be unbelievable i mean that top line this is what domination looks like 89 percent of the expected goal i mean jesse there's two guys in that top line i think we gotta i think we gotta play the animation whenever we get the excuse we have to i mean these guys were rolling together tonight maybe it was better to put Slav there I don't know but no I disagree Suzuki was winning so many puck battles laying hits blocking shots this was a Suzuki master class of a game he only got the one point but we cannot understate how important he was in this game and you're right we had so many chances Caulfield a slap shot what a few minutes into this game that missed the net then Suzuki on that rush with him but yeah 89% of the expected goals controlling about three quarters of the shots when they were on the ice look the Kreider Newhook Anderson line they've been good not so good tonight it's fine Texier Dino Bolduc again unreal Kapanen first game back and he's playing with Evans and Doc they weren't too too bad for a fourth line you don't hate that right so again just to focus on that top line those two lines that were so good tonight Slavkovsky Suzuki Caulfield Teixeira no Bolduc I actually want to talk about Slav just for a bit here because sort of quietly the dude had two assists tonight like I'm gonna be honest I didn't notice this until like I was we were getting ready for this like during the game I almost like I knew that he poked the puck out to Caulfield's like bad angle goal and I but you almost just forgot how much of an impact he made in this game I mean Slavzilla has been kind of rolling the last few game's rougher start but he's getting back into shape he just needs to start putting pucks in the back of the net the power play looks different and I think we'll talk about Bolduc here in a minute but again there are so many good performances that we could focus on tonight that you know like you said this team like if these metrics continue staying the way they are we're not going to have these games that keep going to overtime we could have easily won this game five to two and no one would have batted an eye it's a proven recipe with that top line and just to see it continue going on here and in fact growing right that that chemistry you feel like this team is getting better that time with Martin Saine-Louis is really developing again the really clean breakouts and it's just truly about taking advantage of this and again for slap like this is normal right like this is multiple games now where he's getting those multiple goals and often in those similar fashions like Cole's is going to put it in from just about anywhere this is about getting the puck quickly to him to get that shot off slap is very much aware of that and again just taking a page out of Nick Suzuki we're just quietly again able to get those points which is so amazing but again it's not only when the first line is clicking they were obviously the best line here tonight very much passing the eye test the deserve a winner meter uh there um but it's really getting that Bolduc line not just on the power play we saw getting that tip um goal there again with some of the big boys on that on that power play but again just Bolduc it really comes down to him moving his feet right like that's a big key of his success in the neutral zone he's getting speed he's entering the offensive zone but he's also i'm so impressed by Zachary Bolduc's decision making ability in the offensive zone again it helps when you got guys like Nick Hudson anchoring the play there but we just see such crisp movement and again i i saw in some previous games that maybe they're forcing a little bit of those cross team passes which are important for again creating those high danger opportunities but again they can kind of bite you the other way so again i think this is about finding that sweet spot of again being creative in that offensive zone here i think they are able to do it it's just about getting a little bit more pucks on the net but again we know that the goals are going to come it's about playing that strong defensive game Fowler was able to help really in that way here tonight just to secure the team when they needed the save he didn't even need to be spectacular right he just needed to do what he needed to do and it's just so nice to see this whole team come together for this win yeah Fowler was good and like you know again pucks just don't beat him clean like to beat Fowler you either have to be scrambles cross crease passes and he still he made there was a series there in the third when we were up three to two where he made two point blank saves like right there on Tate Thompson and it was Like, oh, man, like, he just has it, right? Pucks don't beat him clean. They just don't. Like, you know, it doesn't happen. And so, yes, Montreal, like, you'll all have some chances during the game, but Luca Pasta Lukin was great. He stopped a lot of the chances that Montreal had, and Fowler maybe didn't stop one or two that Buffalo had, and that's why this game went to overtime. But you're right. You pointed out the deserve-to-win-a-meter. I'm going to keep flashing it. Like, you know, it's just, it doesn't mean much. It means something. Like, especially when it's over 60%. Like, this one. Yeah, this one does, yeah. But, like, it depends on context of the game, too, right? And I think it was very obvious that in this game, it did feel like Montreal was generating the majority of chances. And you mentioned the defensive game, and I think it's important to talk about that as well. Looking at the pairings tonight, Hutson-Dobson, Guilemette-Carriere, both really good. Hutson-Dobson, better Corsi, not as good expected goals as Guilemette-Carriere. Xavier Reinbacher, interesting. Hutson-Carriere also with a ridiculous expected goal, but there was a very small sample size to that. Xavier Reinbacher, they controlled most of the shots when they were on the ice, and about 50% of the expected goals which is really not bad for your third pairing so i wanted to shout that out and you know there's going to be a lot of chatter about David Reinbacher again partially responsible for that Buffalo goal early like you know he's just making making a couple mistakes here and there but that's what you expect what i love was how smooth he looked in this game was he perfect no but i thought you know he was he was solid enough and i liked his play so just we gotta ask the fans will David Reinbacher play next game type one if you think yes he will type two if you think no he won't this week is a bit weird Tuesday Friday Sunday don't you forget it's the Heritage Classic next Sunday so uh they'll be outdoors uh versus the Winnipeg Jets but I don't know Jesse I don't know how you're feeling about Reinbacher's performance but uh I feel like he's earned at least another tryout with the Habs and I and I feel like I'm probably not the only person thinking that David Reinbacher needs to play the next game with the Montreal Canadiens I felt like he needed to to get called up and again he was able to be called up for this game here I feel like that was the right decision again to really improve that defensive side of the game we we know that the goals are going to come again that's where David Reinbacher can truly um shine and we know that there's probably just adding a little bit of physicality i think in that defensive zone is this going to be so big but again i like what Arbor Jack i was able to bring to that pairing i think David Reinbacher's just continue to get better i think he's going to really impress us he's going to be a little bit of sneaky player where he's really going to come into our good graces for the Montreal when we need them the most which i think is what's the most exciting about this player i love Arbor Jack i'm seeing a lot of growth in development um early on this season which is great um josh i want to get your thoughts real quick Noah Dobson how are you feeling about him so far early on in this season well i will say he's not afraid to let a one-timer rip i'll say that much the dude was just bombing it from the point over and over how many shots did yet only three i don't believe that he he had so many ones i mean like look the points haven't really come for him yet uh but again 21 minutes tonight which is solid i mean you know he's a guy that i think could play even a couple more he's been pretty instrumental on the penalty kill and the second power play like he's an important player i you know i don't know if he's at quite at that you know 10 million dollar level yet this year but i think all the tools are there because he is proving game by game i think he's becoming a bit more of an offensive threat and if he's staying solid defensively one thing he's been doing too is hitting a little bit more another two hits tonight his hit pace this year he's on pace for a career high in hits so that's one thing that i've noticed from him and you know something we've said we needed a lot jesse a bigger guy who's a bit more physical and i don't know if that's ever really gonna be his game but it felt to me like he was laying the body a bit more early this season and the numbers are backing that up as well Yeah, and I'd just like to see him on a pairing right now with Lane Hudson. But again, just the fact that he's playing a little bit more physically, that's a great sign. And shooting the puck, knowing that points were going to come. Do we want a little bit more points from Noah Dobson, knowing what he's capable of? Yes, absolutely. I think he's got another level to hit. I think that's truly going to benefit the Montreal Canadiens once he's able to do so. Yeah, I think so too. I mean, look, he's a guy who's had 70 points in a season before. What do you guys think about Dobson? Any guys that we maybe left off? Like, there's a lot of guys you could talk about, Phil Dunaway winning a bunch of draws, a bunch of great defensive plays. Again, he was the center on that line with Texian Bolduc who scored. Bolduc was on the power play, but still a lot of great stuff happening there. Also, shout out to Oliver Kapanen. I know it was his first game back. He had some good moments in this game, some good defensive sticks, some good chances in tight. I'm excited to see what's going to happen now with him getting back healthy, having Rheinbacher going, Demi back very soon, hopefully Matheson back soon, and who knows, maybe Luke Middlestadt is going to be the AHL's Hart Trophy winner next year because he's up to 13 points in six games as a defenseman in the AHL but that'll have to be a topic maybe for another day that'll do it though for this episode happy to get the win on a Saturday night if you enjoyed don't you forget we're on the road to 30,000 subscribers we'd love to hit it by year's end thank you for tuning in every single day I'm Josh Goss my co-host Jesse Poirier we'll catch you all