Cayden Primeau’s Impressive Effort Falls Short as Flyers Top Canadiens in Shootout
Cayden Primeau's 37-save performance fell short as the Montreal Canadiens suffered a 3-2 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.
In a game played in front of friends and family, Cayden Primeau came close to securing a win against his hometown team. Ultimately, the Philadelphia Flyers overcame a two-goal deficit to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in a shootout at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday night. Despite Primeau’s outstanding 37-save performance, including seven crucial saves in a dominant overtime period for the Flyers, the home team managed to hit the post six times. The Canadiens capitalized on their first two shots against Philly goalie Samuel Ersson, but their offensive opportunities dwindled, recording only a single shot in overtime and nearly matching a season low with 18 shots on goal.
The Habs not only scored on their initial two shots but also limited their first-period attempts to just those two shots. Sean Monahan initiated the scoring at 1:29 by redirecting a Justin Barron shot into the net.
On espère que vous étiez déjà à votre siège
Well, that was quick#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/Ll9kZ77EUX
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 11, 2024
Approximately 10 minutes later, David Savard unleashed a shot resembling a changeup, navigating through traffic and deflecting off a body in front before floating past Ersson. While initially credited to Juraj Slafkovsky, he ultimately received a secondary assist for the goal.
Savy ou Slaf? En tout cas, on a un autre but
Pucks. On. Net. 👏 #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/IsK18sZZTA
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 11, 2024
The Flyers not only made a comeback but also displayed dominance throughout the game. Owen Tippett scored for the home team to conclude the first period. Despite a chaotic sequence in front of Primeau, the puck’s conclusive crossing of the line could not be confirmed upon review. The Habs led 2-1 after the initial 20 minutes.
Tipper from the tough angle. #NHLAllStarVote X #OwenTippett pic.twitter.com/BgA4a2owHB
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) January 11, 2024
Jamie Drysdale, recently acquired in the impactful Cutter-Gauthier trade with the Anaheim Ducks, made a notable contribution in his inaugural game for the new team. The defenseman, known for his smooth skating, assisted Morgan Frost in scoring a power-play goal, leveling the game at 2-2 during the second period.
Get used to this sound, Jamie. 👏👏#MTLvsPHI | #LetsGoFlyers pic.twitter.com/ODvrSTOWjO
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) January 11, 2024
Ersson and Primeau faced substantial shot volumes in the third period, with the former handling 10 shots and the latter dealing with 15, yet the game proceeded to overtime. Apart from a late breakaway attempt by Anderson, the extra frame was dominated by Philadelphia. However, Primeau made crucial saves to keep his team in the game. He added two more saves in the shootout, but despite Sean Couturier finding the net, the Canadiens couldn’t solve Ersson, resulting in a victory for the Flyers.
Hockey Stat Cards surprisingly portrayed Montreal’s performance last night in a positive light, despite challenges faced by players like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Mike Matheson.
#NHL GameScore Impact Card for Montreal Canadiens on 2024-01-10:#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/4jPeOfaKrZ
— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) January 11, 2024
Apart from Primeau, the commenters on the live blog expressed dissatisfaction with last night’s loss. The longstanding connection between Flyers coach John Tortorella and Martin St. Louis, dating back to the early days of the Lightning’s Stanley Cup victories, may have been a moment where the teacher imparted some lessons to his young apprentice. The Flyers found success against the Canadiens consistently throughout the game, and it was the determined efforts of Primeau along with a few posts that prevented the game from becoming more one-sided.
Speaking of Primeau, as we enter the new year, the ongoing discussion revolves around the three-headed goalie situation. While it might be a limited sample size, Primeau’s .905 save percentage is nearly on par with Sam Montembeault’s .906. If this season was a crucial test for Primeau, he is demonstrating that he has the capability to secure a stable position in the NHL.
