Hidden Game: Canadiens return home to put a beating on Flames

Well, there goes another theory down the drain.

The Canadiens returned to the Bell Centre Wednesday night for the first time in 18 days against the Calgary Flames, following a successful seven-game road trip.

Many in the NHL believe the first game back following an extended road trip is the most difficult. Why? Many hypotheses exist. But it remains an inexact science. And the Canadiens bucked the trend with a relatively-easy 4-1 win.

But maybe there is something to it: Since 2017, the Canadiens had a 2-5-0 record at home in their return following the aforementioned Christmas and New Year road trip.

Strange, but true: Six of the last seven meetings between these teams had been decided by one goal — including the Canadiens’ 2-1 overtime victory at Calgary on Oct. 22.

News you need (Part I): Nick Suzuki has played 498 consecutive games for the Canadiens. That’s the second-longest active streak, trailing only Colorado’s Brent Burns (967).

News you need (Part II): Oliver Kapanen scored his 14th goal this season in the second period, staking Montreal to a 3-0 lead. That also moved him into a tie with Anaheim’s Beckett Sennecke for most goals among rookies.

Well, at least they were good for one month: The Flames look like a team ready for a rebuild. Calgary struggled through October and November, going 8-13-4. There was a glimmer of hope in December, when Calgary won nine of 13 contests. But 2026 hasn’t been kind on the visitors, now on a three-game losing skid. This was the first of a five-game road trip for the Flames, who might just about be ready to crash and burn when it’s over.

Sieve of the night: Calgary goaltender Dustin Wolf was a legitimate Calder Trophy candidate last season. And he has done his best, as the last line of defence, to keep his team competitive, with two shutouts, a 2.90 average and .900 save percentage. But he was beaten on the 16th, 18th, 19th and 26th Montreal shots he faced. He was beaten twice to the glove side and didn’t look particularly sharp on either goal. His save percentage was .886.

Money not so well spent: Jonathan Huberdeau is in the third year of an eight-year, US$84-million contract. That’s an annual cap hit of US$10.5 million. The Flames forward has eight goals in 38 games. We’re guessing he misses life in Florida. He was the Panthers’ third-overall draft choice in 2011 and spent a decade in the Sunshine State.

Welcome to the NHL, kid: William Stromgren, making his NHL debut, was met by the battering ram known as Arber Xhekaj in the game’s third minute.

It’s a game of inches (Part I): Poor Owen Beck is stuck on one goal. He has had two disallowed. Midway through the first period, he hit the crossbar.

It’s a game of inches (Part II): Joel Farabee hit the post in the game’s 17th minute. It would have opened the scoring.

Milestone: Alexandre Texier opened the scoring early in the second period. While it was his first goal in 10 games, it also was the 100th point of his NHL career.

Great moments in officiating: Stromgren grabbed Phillip Danault’s stick in the second period. But Danault was penalized for hooking.

Best penalty he ever took: Danault emerged from the penalty box and had a glorious scoring opportunity — only to be denied by Wolf. But seconds later he set up Lane Hutson, providing the Canadiens with a 2-0 lead.

News you need (Part III): In 29 games with Los Angeles, Danault had five points. In seven games since being traded to the Canadiens, he has three points.

Easiest goal he’ll ever score: Juraj Slafkovsky — who else — did the heavy lifting on Montreal’s third goal. Kapanen converted the rebound past Wolf, down and out on the play.

Faceoff of the night: Kapanen beat Nazem Kadri seconds before scoring.

The deficit’s getting smaller: The Canadiens outscored Calgary 3-1 in the second period. While it remains Montreal’s worst period, it keeps chipping away at the albatross. For those keeping score at home, the deficit in the period is now 54-45.

Where goals go to die: Poor Joe Veleno remains stuck on two goals. He had a short-handed breakaway in the third period — only to miss the net. But he also drew a hooking penalty against pending free agent Rasmus Andersson. We would have liked to have seen a penalty shot called.

If you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t tryin: Calgary thought it had its second goal, by Kadri, in the third period. But the Canadiens challenged the play. Following a short video review, it was correctly determined Kadri was offside. Only by about four feet.

Next time, decline the penalty: Calgary went 0-4 on the power play. When the teams met earlier this season, the Flames were 0-for-5 with the man advantage.

Quick stats: Cole Caufield, who scored the Canadiens’ fourth goal, had four shots — as did Mike Matheson. Samuel Blais played only 10:38, but had three shots and four hits. Noah Dobson, on his 26th birthday, blocked four shots. Hutson blocked five. Xhekaj had six hits but also three giveaways. Goalie Jacob Fowler’s save percentage was .966.

They said it: “If you play the right way, if you work hard, be positive no matter what, you’re going to have some results,” Texier said. “I’m pretty happy — especially here in Montreal.

“My ears were hurting from it,” he added about the Bell Centre atmosphere. “The people here are incredible.”

“Oh my god, it was just insane,” Fowler said.

“It feels good to be back home,” Caufield said. “You could tell, the crowd missed us a little bit.”

“Xhekaj is playing really well lately. But tonight, it was even better,” head coach Martin St. Louis said.

hzurkowsky@postmedia.com

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