3 least impressive Montreal Canadiens players from 3-2 loss to Boston Bruins ft. Noah Dobson

The Montreal Canadiens dropped a feisty Original Six matchup against the Boston Bruins on Saturday night at the Bell Centre. The game was a highly physical one, with plenty of roughhousing going on throughout the night.

On the ice, the Bruins killed off seven Montreal power plays to seal the victory. Marat Khusnutdinov, Mason Lohrei, and Viktor Arvidsson (PPG) got the goals for Boston. Meanwhile, Jake Evans (SHG) and Cole Caufield replied for the Montreal Canadiens.

So, here’s a look at the three least impressive Montreal Canadiens players from their 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.

3 least impressive Montreal Canadiens from loss to Boston Bruins

#3 Arber Xhekaj

The Montreal Canadiens defenseman continues to be somewhat of a throw-in for the club. He played in a little over 10 minutes across 11 shifts. The main reason for his inclusion in the lineup is his toughness.

Here’s a look at Xhekaj’s bout with Tanner Jeannot roughly four minutes into the game, as shown on Sportsnet’s official X account:

The bout ended with Jeannot dropping Xhekaj with two quick rights. The battle summed up Montreal’s night in Boston.

#2 Ivan Demidov

The Montreal Canadiens' prized rookie continues on a cold streak. On Saturday night, Ivan Demidov hit the ice for nearly 19 minutes across 17 shifts. However, he was unable to find the back of the net. He ended the night with no points and no shots on goal. He registered one shot attempt on the night.

While Demidov has had a solid rookie campaign, scoring four goals and 13 points in 17 games, he’s been goalless in his last four games. In that span, he has just one assist. The Habs hope the 19-year-old can break out of the slump and get back to filling the net.

#1 Noah Dobson

Noah Dobson didn’t have his best game for the Canadiens. The blueliner hit the ice for over 23 minutes on 24 shifts. However, he had just one shot on goal on three attempts. But it was his defensive shortcomings that allowed the Bruins to jump out to an early lead.

Here’s a look at the first Boston goal:

Dobson lost the puck along the boards to Khusnutdinov. Then, Dobson neglected to spot the wide-open Khusnutdinov, who took a dish from David Pastrnak for the one-timer. Meanwhile, Dobson and defense partner Mike Matheson were out of position on the play.

Khusnutdinov had the open cage to open the scoring. While the Canadiens recovered, the Bruins pulled away, getting a 3-1 lead.

The Canadiens will be looking to end their three-game slide as they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night at the Nationwide Arena.

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Edited by Nestor Quixtan