Anderson, Canadiens struggle offensively in loss to Flames

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Flames 2, Canadiens 1. Anderson, robbed by goaltender Jacob Markstrom, continues to be looking for his first aim of the season.

Printed Nov 14, 2023  •  Final up to date 4 hours in the past  •  4 minute learn

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It was late in regulation time when Sean Monahan fed Josh Anderson in entrance of the Calgary internet, the Canadiens swarming the visiting Flames in the hunt for the tying aim.

With the potential equalizer on the tip of his stick, Anderson was robbed by the glove hand of goaltender Jacob Markstrom. The bittersweet smile — one virtually of defiance — on Anderson’s face spoke volumes as he skated away in disbelief.

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“I feel me strolling down Major St. and never scoring, I nonetheless can’t imagine it,” Anderson mentioned following the Canadiens’ 2-1 loss to the Flames Tuesday evening on the Bell Centre. “I’m nonetheless in disbelief.”

That is the way it goes while you’re perceived to be a scorer, but you’re nonetheless looking for your first aim of the season after 16 video games. That the Canadiens are going by an offensive funk of late — held to a few targets in two video games and 6 within the final three — solely provides to Anderson’s frustration.

He’s definitely getting the alternatives, regardless of being held to solely two pictures by Calgary. He now has 37 pictures by 16 video games.

“I’m going to have to vary one thing,” the 6-foot-3, 224-pound energy ahead mentioned. “Possibly a brand new stick? I don’t know. I’m attempting to stick with it and keep optimistic. It’s irritating proper now, particularly when you will have alternatives to assist your workforce out to tie the sport or end it. I’m simply going to must dig deeper.”

This was the season Anderson, 29, was anticipated to interrupt out offensively — and maybe he nonetheless would possibly — after scoring 21 targets in 69 video games earlier than struggling a season-ending excessive ankle sprain March 21, in opposition to Tampa Bay. He would have had extra targets final season, if solely he may have completed a few of his alternatives, together with quite a few breakaways. Anderson, in spite of everything, nonetheless is identical model of the participant who scored a career-high 27 targets in 82 video games with Columbus in the course of the 2018-19 marketing campaign.

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“I’m getting beauty,” he mentioned. “It’s the way you beat the goalie. Often I haven’t had that downside in my profession, however I simply must hold working at it.”

Nonetheless, the Canadiens’ inconsistent season continues. After producing consecutive wins final week at Detroit and in opposition to Boston, Montreal now has misplaced two straight, its document dropping to 7-7-2. And issues received’t get any simpler Thursday, after they host the defending Stanley Cup-champion Vegas Golden Knights earlier than embarking on a five-game street journey.

Vegas leads the Pacific division with a 12-3-1 document following Tuesday evening’s 3-0 loss at Washington.

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Whereas there’s little question the Canadiens ran right into a sizzling netminder in Markstrom, they have been enjoying a struggling workforce (5-8-2) that was concluding a three-game street tour. Markstrom, who hadn’t received on the street since final April 5, made 34 stops for a scintillating .971 save proportion.

The Canadiens eliminated goalie Samuel Montembeault for an additional skater late within the sport. Even with Andrew Mangiapane off for interference and Montreal having fun with a six-on-four benefit, they couldn’t resolve Markstrom.

Defenceman Gustav Lindström, simply recalled from Laval, was the one Canadien who beat him early within the second interval, 17 seconds after Nazem Kadri opened the scoring. Even at that, Lindström was lucky to attain; his shot was going vast however deflected off Rasmus Andersson.

Connor Zary scored the winner for Calgary, whereas a possible third-period aim by Mangiapane was disallowed following a video assessment after it was decided Elias Lindholm had gone offside.

“The method is simple to promote simply by the quantity of possibilities we generate,” head coach Martin St. Louis mentioned. “The goalie was good on the opposite aspect tonight; I’ll give him that. It will be a tough promote if we have been getting outplayed on a regular basis and never producing something. That’s not the case.

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“I’ve lived it and been in these occasions when it’s simply not entering into. The trouble’s there. The probabilities are there. Typically the sport’s simply laborious.”

Montembeault, who stopped 26 pictures on Saturday in opposition to the Bruins, was no slouch in opposition to Calgary and sure deserved a greater destiny. He made 27 saves and saved his workforce within the sport, though Montembeault nonetheless often permits too many rebounds.

“You must give them credit score. Markstrom performed effectively for them,” Montembeault mentioned. “Within the third they didn’t give us a lot, aside from Anderson’s probability within the slot. They performed a superb sport and it may have gone both manner.

“As a goalie, I like tight video games. I want we may have that each evening. We simply must bear down on our possibilities. We’re transferring the puck effectively. We have to discover a technique to get inside and get there on these second and third possibilities, when there’s a rebound or blocked shot.”

hzurkowsky@postmedia.com

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