Ilya Kovalchuk had a solid debut for the Montreal Canadiens, but unfortunately, his team lost against the Winnipeg Jets. The guests got away home with a 3-2 win, and the veteran winger had one assist, but not helping his team to avoid the six straight defeat.
Kovalchuk’s debut was in the center of attention last night at the Bell Centre. His assist came at 11:47 of the third, for the Canadiens’ second goal and for cutting down the deficit to 3-2.
He set up a score to Ben Chiarot and electrified the crowd who was hoping that it might be a sign of a big comeback. However, the stubborn guests prevailed, although being in a difficult situation. The Canadiens had a 6-on-4 advantage on the ice when Jets’ Luca Sbisa got penalized for hooking. The hosts pulled out the goalie Carey Price to pressure even more Winnipeg’s defense, but, unfortunately for them, nothing happened.
“And a few little mistakes cost us, but I like the way we fight to the end, and it says a lot that we never give up. So it’s a bump in the road, but we’re going to keep working and getting better.” Kovalchuk said.
He was approached by numerous media representatives with all sorts of questions about his comeback, and several among them wanted to know how he felt on the ice. The veteran was straightforward, admitting that he did have some doubts about his condition because he didn’t play for more than two months.
“I was a little nervous and it took me a few shifts to get into the rhythm because I didn’t play for two months,” the Russian said.
His last game came on November 9, while still wearing LA Kings jersey. The rivals across the other side were his current teammates. The assists posted tonight was his seventh of the season, and along with that, Kovalchuk also has three goals.
After 92 seconds of play in the middle frame, the guests took the lead through Josh Morrissey, once he sent a wrist shot which ended behind Price. The edge was doubled 4:46 after that, with Blake Wheeler and Nikolaj Ehlers execting a 2-on-0 breakaway with the latter one scoring following Wheeler’s assist.
Chiarot’s slap shot decreased the lead of the visitors, at 11:03, giving some hope to his team. However, Andrew Copp’s score midway through the third made it very tough for the Canadiens to come back, but a quick response kept the optimism alive. Nevertheless, Connor Hellebuyck, who made 29 saves in this one, neutralized all the attacks of the hosts, sending home the majority of fans from the Bell Center disappointed.
The Jets (23-16-4) are now heading to Toronto, where they play against the Maple Leafs next Wednesday.
As for the Canadiens (18-18-7), the team needs to find some sort of balance and regain its confidence; otherwise, the playoffs will be just a dream. They are already behind the wild card spots and have to put together a couple of wins to improve the situation.
The next chance for stopping the cold streak is already this Tuesday once they face the Red Wings in Detroit.
