Melnick’s GBU: Kotkaniemi gives Montreal a potential “where were you” moment (2024)

Oh, so that’s what Jesperi Kotkaniemi was waiting for before firing in his first NHL goal. The biggest stage of the season. Why waste the moment on mere mortals when you can do it in front of Ovechkin and Backstrom and Kuznetsov and Braden Holtby?

And why stop there? Might as well add another to tie up the game with just three minutes to play to work the frenzied Bell Centre crowd into yet another level of delirium.

Wow.

As career openers go, this was a multi exclamation point arrival.

I’m here!!! (How you like me now?)

Considering the setting, with the Habs hosting the defending Stanley Cup champs, it might have been the best performance by a teenager in a Montreal hockey rink since 14-year-old Nadia Comaneci won three gold medals in gymnastics while recording six perfect 10s during the 1976 Olympics at the Montreal Forum.

If you’ve paid attention, then you already know how good Kotkaniemi’s game has (mostly) been, at both ends of the ice. It was only fitting then, that the play that led to his first NHL goal started because of his strong play in his own zone. He used his size to rub out Chandler Stephenson along the boards to take possession of the puck, started the rush himself, passed it to Joel Armia, who passed it back to Kotkaniemi, who had enough time to pick his spot high stick side on Holtby.

We’ve seen the accuracy and strength of his shot before. It’s just missed. Opposing goalies have gotten a piece of it. Or it’s been rung off a goalpost. On this night it was perfect.

“I got lucky”, said a humble Kotkaniemi after the game.

Which brought to mind a favorite phrase of one of my all-time favorite Montrealers, Hall of Famer Dickie Moore, who liked to say, “You have to be good to be lucky.”

It took the Caps less than four minutes to erase the lead and much of the euphoria of the unforgettable moment. But when Kotkaniemi tied the game with 3:02 to play, the place erupted with what seemed like a mass joy that had been bottled up since last season.

Suddenly, Kotkaniemi became the only centre on the Habs not named Domi to score a second goal this season. And that Domi dude was just getting warmed up.

One period earlier, after allowing Washington to score three goals in six minutes, it seemed inconceivable that the Habs would leave the rink with two points. But all that did was set the stage for high drama to unfold over the final three minutes.

No extra stage lighting is needed when Kotkaniemi flashes his smile, as he seemed to be doing all night, even when T.J. Oshie roughed him up after he fired a shot at Holtby just as an offside whistle was blown.

The whole night was a future “Where were you?” moment.

So, with Tampa Bay up next, just what does he do for an encore? Or is this where Jonathan Drouin takes centre stage?

THE GOOD

· Jesperi Kotkaniemi: He finally has an actual shooting percentage (9.5 percent). Now let’s see if he hits double figures with it.

· Phillip Danault-Brendan Gallagher-Tomas Tatar: At times it appeared they were moving at fast-forward speed. Incredible push early in the second period to give the Habs a short lived 3-1 lead. Gallagher, a strong early candidate for the NHL Cy Young award (9-1), nearly completed his first career hat trick before Holtby made a terrific save on a strong one-timer from the slot. Gallagher had a game high seven shots on goal. Danault had his best game of the season while also excelling in the faceoff circle (63 percent). And Tatar again looked like the player we saw during the first two weeks of the season. Gallagher sure makes it difficult for his linemates to hit cruise control.

· Charles Hudon: Took full advantage of an opportunity to play in a top six role and outplayed his more talented linemates. He clearly lacks the speed of Artturi Lehkonen but brings a ferocity level that can still create plenty of scoring chances. There can be no questioning his desire. He’s hungry to prove a point, especially with first round pick Nikita Scherbak working himself into game shape in Laval. But how many actual goals Hudon can score remains a legitimate question.

· Max Domi: It figures. He missed a wide open net while fanning on a rolling puck to send it into Holtby’s pad, which would have tied the game eight minutes into the third period. But then, we wouldn’t have had the electrifying ending he wrote. Domi’s strong defensive play to take away a Grade A scoring chance by Ovechkin (who complained about a possible hook) with less than 30 seconds to play resulted in his game-winning goal on a wrist shot that Holtby somehow failed to squeeze. For the first time in 15 games against Holtby, the Canadiens managed to beat him for five goals. For the second time in four home games, the Canadiens won a game with time ticking away. Tie Domi couldn’t have asked for a better gift for his 49th birthday.

· Xavier Ouellet: Quite the comeback story. Keeps looking better and better.

· Victor Mete: Might have also been his best game of the season. His foray deep into Washington territory helped set up Kotkaniemi’s game tying goal.

· Joel Armia: About time some good things happened for him. Seemed almost as happy as Kotkaniemi after he set up the kid for his first NHL goal. His empty-netter got his name – along with Domi’s – into the NHL record book.

· Claude Julien: Give him credit for putting the three Finnish forwards together. Coincidence that Kotkaniemi broke his goose egg alongside Armia and Lehkonen?

· PK Unit: An impressively disciplined Habs team didn’t put the NHL’s most potent power play to work until late in the third period. It could have put the game out of reach, but they killed off Hudon’s unfortunate tripping call in the offensive zone (he was reaching for the puck but tripped up Matt Niskanen) with less than seven minutes to play.

· Carey Price: There might have been some grumbling about allowing four goals but all four were the result of breakdowns in the defensive zone and a coupe of odd bounces. When Ovechkin’s weird double deflection of a Dmitry Orlov shot popped up and in behind Price’s glove to give Washington a 4-3 lead, there was a clear sense of dread that enveloped the Bell Centre. But Price did not allow the three quick second period goals to adversely affect him. He made two game savers, both on 2-on-1 breaks, that kept his team in the game.

THE BAD

· Second Period: The Capitals turned most of the middle 20 minutes into a shooting gallery inside the Montreal zone. Once they were up 3-1, the Habs allowed the skilled Caps way too much room and were often caught hanging on, unable to get to the bench because of the long change. Noah Juulsen in particular had a rough stretch, mimicking Lehkonen’s giveaway in front of Price in Saturday night’s loss to Dallas. On this play, Juulsen coughed up the puck to Brett Connelly, who fed it to an onrushing Lars Eller. Eller then blasted a shot through Price for his second goal of the game. His first goal was scored in the first period after a Matt Niskanen shot ricocheted off Juulsen’s skate directly onto his stick. Even though Montreal grabbed a two-goal lead early, the best part of the period for them was when it ended.

THE UGLY

· Power Play: It keeps firing blanks. Current funk has reached 0-for-11. Overall the power play is down to 15.6 percent, or 24th in the NHL. It might be time to give that kid who wears number 15 a lot more time on this unit. Especially now that we know he can also light up a red goal lamp. Against the best team in hockey.

(Top photo: David Kirouac, Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)