Call of the Wilde: Montembeault finds his form as Montreal Canadiens best Vegas 4-1

A difficult three-game road trip for the Montreal Canadiens started with a satisfying win in Utah, but the final two games promised to be more difficult as the competition lifted a notch in Las Vegas, then lifted a hundred notches in Denver.

Samuel Montembeault got the start looking to turn his season around, and he did. It was the best Montembeault has looked this season, powering Montreal to a 4-1 win.

Wilde Horses

The next step in the development of Juraj Slafkovsky has been to do all that he has been doing, but do it faster and do it with some duplicity. NHL players are extremely intelligent. It’s simply not enough to get the puck and start looking around for options — it’s already too late.

Slafkovsky has been fairly successful because of his size, but to reach the next level — the powerful level that puts you in the upper echelon — he has to be faster and smarter.

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It’s coming. There are glimpses of it much more this season. It was on full display in the first period.

Slafkovsky saw the puck coming around the boards to him on a delayed penalty. He had just jumped on the ice as an extra attacker, and as the puck was coming, he had already spotted Zachary Bolduc. He knew exactly what he wanted to do to create a scoring chance.

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When the plan is in place, the speed is taken care of. Up next is the duplicity. Slafkovsky never gave it away. He never showed the play to Vegas. He never stared at his target, until he fired the pass through four players to Bolduc alone to make it 1-0. This is the dream play for Slafkovsky believers.

It’s the type of speed and duplicity that it feels like Ivan Demidov was born with. Later in the first period, it was Demidov magic. The quickness he showed to find Oliver Kapanen all alone was faster than the eyes could follow. It was a golden chance that Kapanen couldn’t convert.

Kapanen also couldn’t convert on a breakaway in a kind of glass-half-full period for the Finn. Half-full because he earned the chances, and that has value. However, it’s the taste of greatness from Demidov in how fast he processes hockey that is the most tantalizing.

It’s been a long time since the Canadiens had so many dynamic players. No one can shoot better than Cole Caufield. No one. Caufield scored in the second period with a shot that just should not have gone in.

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Caufield was on the goal line in the corner. He fired it over the shoulder of Akira Schmid into a spot that didn’t even appear to be there. Schmid was in the reverse VH stance as perfectly as you can be. Caufield ripped it for his 14th goal of the season. Bolduc got an assist for five points in two games.

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Caufield had his best game in a long time. He could have had four goals. In one shift, he could have scored two. Lane Hutson and Nick Suzuki set him up for a clean look, and he shot wide. Thirty seconds later, Caufield had a breakaway and ripped it off the cross bar.

These are good times for Canadiens fans to have three such dynamic players to watch. They make lift-you-out-of-your-seat plays every game. Demidov will join them to make it the Dynamic Four soon when he gets more comfortable.

In the third period, Alexandre Texier made a tremendous play to help the Canadiens go up by three. He threaded a pass through the defender’s skates to free Jake Evans for a breakaway attempt. Evans found the corner nicely for his fourth of the year.

As much as the Canadiens produced many thrilling moments, they could not have won it without Montembeault finding his better form. He was so much better than he has been in a long time. Credit to Montembeault, as he had to sit in the stew of his own disappointment for a week waiting for another game.

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He delivered. Montembeault worked hard on his form and it showed. The shots on goal were 22-11 after two periods. Montembeault was busy. In his last game, Montembeault was pulled after allowing three goals in 10 shots. In this one, he stopped 29 of 30 to power the Canadiens to the win.

Montembeault lost his shutout bid late, but that only allowed Slafkovsky to score for a well-deserved two-point game. Suzuki made an assist, which is notable as it’s now 27 points in 23 games as he is on a path to another high scoring season.

Wilde Goats 

This looked like a road trip that had the potential to be three straight losses. So far, the Canadiens have won the first two. The third game against a team that has lost only once in regulation this season seems like a scheduled loss. However, why rule out Denver when Salt Lake City and Las Vegas have already been positive?

No one was poor enough in this important win to single out in a negative manner. No goats.

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4:49 Call of the Wilde: Habs report card

Wilde Cards

Mike Matheson isn’t as popular as he should be. He logs 25 minutes of ice time per game and is the leading plus-minus player on defence in Montreal by a large amount at plus-13. Next up is Noah Dobson at plus-two. Matheson is a native of Montreal as well having grown up on the West Island.

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He should be a local hero. With today’s contract news, Matheson may be seen that way after all.

Matheson sent a message to the hockey world that he wants to win a Stanley Cup in his hometown by signing a five-year deal for only $30 million. He sent a message that he wants to facilitate his general manager’s ability to work the salary cap to get the necessary talent to bring a cup to Montreal.

Matheson left both term and money on the table with this contract. He could have played the open market for a seven-year offer, and he could have found a desperate suitor for $8 million. Instead, he makes less than Brendan Gallagher.

It feels like something is happening in the Canadiens locker room as far as being a band of brothers who stay together to win a title. Players are taking friendly contracts left and right. In every other era in Montreal,  no one took a team friendly deal. Now, it’s almost everyone.

It can’t be that the GM is that great a negotiator. He may well be excellent, but that doesn’t mean any player is forced to sign against their free will. These players and their agents remain free to do whatever they please according to the CBA, and what pleases them almost always is to get every dollar they can.

These are such exciting times for the organization. They have essentially, with this deal, guaranteed a five-year window of a top four locked in on the blue line. And what a top four it is with Matheson, Dobson, Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle. It’s a true first pair in Montreal and a true second pair.

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Matheson has chosen lifestyle over top dollar, camaraderie over starting over. Above all, he believes he chose a chance for the cup. He was traded here when the Canadiens were at rock bottom. He plans to leave a hero at the top.

It’s a marvellous day to be a Canadiens fan. Montreal didn’t just win on Matheson. They won with the outstanding new player they now have the money to sign because Matheson loves Montreal.

It’s time now for Montreal to love Matheson.

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