There was 1:48 remaining in overtime of this 3-2 win for the Canadiens when Cayden Primeau popped to the top of his crease, dug his edges in, stood his ground and kept his glove in place to stop a shot from Detroit’s most lethal shooter.
The Montreal Canadiens goaltender had already given up a goal to J.T. Compher he shouldn’t have just over six minutes into the third period, but he rebounded to backstop his team to its first win in five games and his first win in this league since Dec. 16, 2021, with the overtime save on Alex DeBrincat — who came into this game with nine goals in his first 14 contests — as the centrepiece of his performance.
Without Primeau coming up with it, Cole Caufield never would’ve had a chance to score the winner in the 64th minute of play. But the goaltender was rock solid throughout, well-positioned to make saves appear easier than they were, and he delivered.
The 24-year-old has faced some hard knocks over the last couple of years, starting with being thrust into the NHL behind a team incapable of scoring or defending in November of 2021. He went through crises of confidence, injuries, and a lengthy stint in the American Hockey League before facing his most challenging task in the world’s best hockey league this season.
This was Primeau’s second start, and his first one since Oct. 24. He is the third man in a three-man goaltending platoon, the one getting the least reps in practice and games, and the one most challenged to come up with wins given those circumstances.
“It hasn’t been easy, I’m not going to lie,” Primeau told reporters at Little Caesars Arena after the game.
But the Farmington Hills, MI., native found a way to make 27 saves and help the Canadiens win a game both he and they deserved.
“Cayden was our best player tonight,” Caufield said moments after scoring his third overtime winner of the season.
Primeau was certainly one of the Canadiens’ most resilient.
Mike Matheson, who had a goal and two assists and finished plus-1, was another.
Montreal’s top defenceman came into the game after two concerning performances plundered his confidence and brought a lot of negative attention upon him.
He came out of it, with points in-hand, and with confidence hopefully restored after playing virtually mistake-free through nearly 28 minutes of ice time.
“I thought he played well, managed his risk much better, and it’s a game I think he needed,” said Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis. “As a player, you need games like this to rebound, and I think it’ll help him.”
This was a game that could help the Canadiens, as well.
St. Louis had referred to them as “fragile” following a 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning to start the week, and rightfully so. It had marked the sixth consecutive game in which they had given up the first goal, and that was just one way they were making games more challenging than they needed to be and affecting their own ability to play with confidence.
Matheson almost immediately helped the Canadiens flip the script in Detroit, giving them their first lead in a game in over 400 minutes when he wired home Alex Newhook’s pass 7:02 into the first period.
When the Red Wings tied the game 16:44 into the second period, after Primeau had stopped 13 shots in the frame, the Canadiens didn’t fall into the habits that had plagued them through four consecutive losses — forcing plays and turning over pucks at an alarming rate to gain an edge.
Instead, they stayed in their defensive structure, Nick Suzuki gave them a 2-1 lead on the power play 26 seconds into the third period, and they limited the shots against to just four in the third period.
Primeau stopped DeBrincat and made two more saves in overtime before Caufield lodged the winning shot into the roof of James Reimer’s net and, with that, both he and the Canadiens had something to build on.
It gives Primeau a chance to ride a winning feeling for the first time in too long, and that’ll make the wait for his next start a little easier to manage. And even if the Canadiens could’ve been pleased with their process on Thursday, it wouldn’t be as propelling had it not been rewarded by the result.
“We treated it as a must-win, and found a way,” said Sean Monahan, who had a goal called off after Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde successfully challenged it for offside.
The Canadiens didn’t get emotionally rattled by that, nor were they flustered by anything else that happened in the game. That, too, was a big factor in them getting two points.
Now they’ll look for four more this weekend, with the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks visiting the Bell Centre Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
