The Canadiens won’t be going winless this preseason. Talk about jumping out of the gates with a swagger. A 5-0 victory over Philadelphia in the home opener of the exhibition season.
Adam Engstrom demonstrated in the first period that he would need some seasoning. He must be aware of Nic Deslauriers when he enters the corner on his first shift. He’s lucky he didn’t get badly hurt crashing into the boards. He still needs a bit more muscle for the NHL game. Later on he fumbles a cross-ice pass and gives up a breakaway.
Montreal went on the penalty kill in the first minute and Marty wasted no time giving rookies important roles. Oliver Kapanen took the faceoff in the defensive zone with Emil Heineman and Logan Mailloux on the ice. Kapanen came off after winning the draw but then was on the second unit.
Kapanen looks NHL-ready. He is constantly creating offensive opportunities while also taking care of his own end capably. He can kill penalties and win faceoffs just as well or better than Evans. Fans get attached to players and Evans is a solid character. This is a business, though, and Hughes will need to do what’s best for the team. Evans is 28, making $1.7M, and has scored nine goals in his last two seasons. Kapanen is 21, on an ELC, and fully capable of scoring 10-15 goals. He is going to keep improving as the season goes along. With Evans – what you see is what you get. A fourth-line center who isn’t about to blossom into a 15-goal scorer. So far…and yes it is early…he also looks better than Dvorak, Roy, Anderson, Pezzetta, Armia, Gallagher did last season. Find him a roster spot.
Lane Hutson has a point in every game he has worn the bleu, blanc et rouge. Five games and counting. He is impossible to stop in the open ice, and that ability to find space and make smart plays will result in him piling up a ton of assists in his NHL career. He is going to create scoring opportunities in every game – it’s simply in his DNA.
Lucas Condotta had a solid game. Look for him to bounce back from a so-so sophomore pro season and be a key player both offensively and defensively in Laval. A smart, hard-working, honest center. Nice to see him step in to grapple with Nic Deslauriers after the hit on Engstrom. Props to Deslauriers for not beating him up.
That may be exactly what Josh Anderson needed – a goal in his first exhibition game. New season. New start. A bounce-back year from him would be a huge boost for the club. Mind you – he scored three goals in four exhibition games last season, and then failed to find the back of the net for the first 26 regular-season games.
Nice to see Cayden Primeau and Jakub Dobes split a shutout. Both were slow out of the gate last season – that should help their confidence.
Alex Newhook taking situational draws on his stronger side on the Dach Line. One 9f the many reasons he’s a good fit on that line. Joshua Roy isn’t going to take draws, and while he, Dach, and Laine aren’t slow, none are as quick as Newhook, and he can create turnovers and offensive opportunities with his wheels and tenacity. There is a nice mix in that trio and look for them to start clicking as they get used to each other.
Patrik Laine had a solid Montreal debut. He had five shots and set up several teammates for good looks. He threw some hits, skated back hard on a few plays and handled the puck well. It will take time for those three to get used to each other’s games but that line looks very promising. The goals will come.
Alex Barre-Boulet did nothing to hurt his chances of being the 13th or 14th forward at the start of the season. He has good vision and puck skills. He made plenty of smart plays and picked up a goal and an assist.
Luke Tuch did what he has to do all season in Laval – skate hard, finish his checks, win board battles, go to the net, and bury his chances when he gets them.
Mailloux was solid in his own end yet again. His defensive game just keeps improving month by month, and all of the hoopla about how porous he was defensively was overblown. He is developing nicely, and brings size and a physical edge that will be welcome once he earns a full-time spot.
Heineman was solid in all regards in this contest. He killed penalties, came back hard, finished checks, picked up an assist, and sniped a pretty goal. He is primed for a breakthrough AHL season, and if he can put up consistent numbers and continue to improve his defensive game, there will be a role for him on the big club next season.
