MTL@EDM: No gifts under the tree

EDMONTON -- The Canadiens didn't get exactly what they wanted for Christmas on Saturday.

But they didn't quite get a lump of coal either, splitting a tough four-game road trip with two wins and two losses to head into the holiday break with four new points in the bank.
"At the start of the road trip we weren't happy with our effort in Ottawa. I thought we responded and got a bit better in Vancouver, then in Calgary we played maybe one of our best games of the year," acknowledged Brendan Gallagher, as the Habs saw a two-game win streak snapped 4-1 in Edmonton. "Tonight, I thought we battled and competed. But we were playing a good hockey team, and sometimes there are little key mistakes in games [which can cost you]."
The Canadiens were held off the scoresheet until 12:55 in the second, when Andrew Shaw got the team on the board with his fourth power play tally of the campaign.
That was all Montreal would muster up however, in the Albertan capital.

"We're playing better, but we've still got to find ways to create offense. After that Vancouver game, we were talking about tightening things up defensively, but we've still got to create plays offensively. Especially when we go down 3-0, we've got to come up with ways to find our offense," prescribed captain Max Pacioretty. "We had looks tonight, but instead of sustaining pressure when we had the chance, we were already backchecking before the puck was out of our zone. I don't know if that was confidence or what, but we've got to find a way to put pucks in the net."
Although the hosts jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first with a pair of goals from Ryan Strome and Connor McDavid just 121 seconds part, the play of backup netminder Antti Niemi was nevertheless a bright spot on the night.
That's been a trend since the Habs picked up the 34-year-old off waivers on Nov. 14, despite the fact that the former Panthers goaltender is still looking for a first win with his new club.
"He played awesome. He played really well," continued Pacioretty, as the Niemi made 31 stops on 34 shots at Rogers Place. "I mean, how many breakaway saves and odd-man stops did he make? He played very very well and gave us a chance to come back in that game."
The Finnish 'keeper notably made a pair of highlight-reel saves opposite Leon Draisaitl on the breakaway, to keep things close with 3:05 to go in the first.

"He played unbelievable. He made timely saves at key moments. When you're down two goals and you're trying to make a push, you can't give up a third," underlined Brendan Gallagher, who tested Oilers netminder Cam Talbot on three occasions. "He made some big saves, but we obviously had to take some risks while trying to create some offense. We were relying on him to make some big saves and he definitely stepped up. I think everybody appreciates that."
The Habs now sit seven points back of the Boston Bruins for third place in the Atlantic Division, and six points out of the East's final wildcard spot, with three days off before traveling to Carolina on Wednesday.
"Looking back as a whole, I guess it's a positive, taking four out of six [points in western Canada]," concluded defenseman David Schlemko, an Edmonton native. "But we had a chance to come in here tonight and make it a great trip, and it's too bad we didn't do that."