Montreal – Jake Evans didn`t hesitate to call the Colorado Avalanche the best team in the NHL after playing against them on Saturday.
Just 10 minutes prior, a scout attending the game at the Bell Centre told Sportsnet what was clear to him was that Evans`s Montreal Canadiens are a team that “will out-compete anyone in the league right now.” He watched them erase a three-goal deficit in the third period before losing to the mighty Avalanche in a shootout.
This marked the third consecutive game where the Canadiens staged a late comeback, but this one revealed something special about them. It`s one thing to do it against teams like the Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders, who are vying for playoff spots towards the end of the regular season, and quite another against the Avalanche, who are ramping up for a final push for the Stanley Cup.
The manner of this comeback was also exceptional, with every Canadien fighting back with full force after being bombarded with heavy blows in the first 20 minutes and being on the ropes for much of the following 20 minutes.
“We have a very confident group right now,” said Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis. “I noticed that in the third period, we attacked in waves. It wasn`t just one line. We came in waves, and I think we gave them trouble.”
Tristan Blackwood