Grant McCagg
September 14, 2024
6:09 pm
Hockey
Montreal Canadiens

Habs Rookie Game 1 Notes

Toronto’s rookies beat Montreal’s 4-3 in a shootout in Game 1 of the Rookie Showcase at the Bell Centre on Sept. 14.

The rookie Leafs didn’t match up on paper and were outplayed and outshot in the game. They received solid goaltending and made the most of their power-play chances, scoring goals on their first three power-play shots

The Habs gave the ‘C’ to Logan Mailloux, and he was interviewed after the first period in French. Questions about his character appear to be in the distant past. Montreal has certainly embraced him even if some social media keyboard warriors still condemn him, Mailloux was Montreal’s most physical defenceman, and perhaps most importantly, the best defender in his own zone. He closed off several plays with aggressive gap control and played a two-on-one flawlessly (see video) by cutting off the passing lane and then deflecting the shot from a dangerous scoring area.

He formed a dynamic pairing with Lane Hutson, who was Montreal’s most dangerous player by a wide margin was Lane Hutson. He found space and time in the offensive zone to create numerous scoring opportunities. He picked up one assist on the Thorpe goal but could have had several with better finishing from his teammates.

Hutson had the crowd buzzing, and it’s a harbinger of things to come. He’s a good bet to be the club’s most entertaining blueliner since PK Subban with his uncanny ability to deke opponents.

Owen Protz struggled occasionally with D zone turnovers and was on the receiving end of several hard hits. He will need to keep working on his puck retrievals and make quicker decisions when he gets it. That will come as he only has one year of major junior experience. His partner Simon Motew was fairly steady once again, building on his impressive development camp in early summer. He’s expected to play university hockey but could help Trois Rivieres if offered a two-way AHL contract.

David Reinbacher looked like a teenager on a few plays and a seasoned vet on a few others. He whiffed on a clearing pass that luckily didn’t hurt the team and was in the penalty box for Toronto’s second goal as he tripped Easton Cowan on a breakaway. He moves very well with the puck in the offensive zone and makes smart passes back to the blueline when he takes the puck below the hash marks. He will get ample power-play time in Laval and look for him to put up decent offensive numbers this season.

I noted before the game that Adam Engstrom was a player I was most interested in watching, and he didn’t disappoint, especially in the first period when he joined the rush and converted a pass from Charles Savoie. He was paired with David Reinbacher, and while each had a couple of blips, they were a solid tandem for the most part. Engstrom is a smooth skater with soft hands, and he can create offence. He’ll need to keep working on his defensive positioning and decision-making but considering that it was his first game on North American ice, it was an impressive debut. If he is paired with Reinbacher in Laval this season, they should form a solid tandem.

We may have gotten a glimpse at some combinations we will see at the start of the Laval season. Owen Beck playing with Sean Farrell; Riley Kidney centering Jared Davidson and Filip Mesar; and Reinbacher paired with Engstrom.

Kidney has added some muscle. He gave and took a few hits and made a sweet pass to Tyler Thorpe on Montreal’s second goal that got overlooked because of Hutson’s dance show. He also had another sweet feed in the third period (see video). Mesar had a few moments thanks to his energy. When he’s using his speed and battling in the dirty areas he creates havoc and generates chances. Davidson got better as the game went along, and the same can be said of Beck.

The first-year pro and reigning Memorial Cup champion was quiet through the first 39 minutes and 50 seconds. A sweet pass from Farrell found its way between Toronto goalie Dennis Hildeby’s pads with three seconds left in the second period and the game was tied at three. The goal seemed to spark Beck. He was the best forward on the ice in the third period. He started to use his speed and energy more effectively and his diligence caused turnovers.

Emil Heineman powered through a lot of checks and had more scoring opportunities than any other Montreal forward. He was a bit snakebitten but the goals will come if he keeps getting multiple prime scoring chances every game. He has a hard shot, and he got it off a few times. Hildeby deserves credit for making some athletic saves, especially off of the stick of Heineman. This is a pivotal camp for him and if he gets noticed in NHL exhibition games like he did today, look for him to win a roster spot with the Canadiens to open the season. He better, or he could be lost on waivers.

Farrell was a bit behind the play in the first half of the game but when he got the puck in the offensive zone in the last 30 minutes he displayed his elite vision and passing skills on several plays. Look for both Farrell and Kidney to put up solid assist totals in Laval as second-year pros. Both of them look more comfortable.

Luke Tuch was hitting everything in sight in the first period and helped set the tone for Montreal’s Bruiser Line along with Florian Xhekaj, who didn’t waste any time trying to make an impression. He dropped the gloves with Chas Sharpe on his first shift and handled the Mississauga defenceman handily in a spirited scrap. Tuch was less impactful in the second half of the game.

Their linemate Thorpe snapped home Montreal’s second goal on a nice feed from Kidney. He used his size effectively and was one of the more dangerous forwards on the Canadiens before getting shook up with a high open-ice hit to the head that resulted in a banged-up nose and a trip to the dressing room for repairs. He may have a monster year in Vancouver. He should be one of the WHL’s more pre-eminent power forwards.

Through the first half of the game, Montreal’s most dangerous line was the Q line, with Justin Larose centering Israel Mianscum and Charles Savoie, and they connected on Engstrom’s tic-tac-toe goal. Larose is undersized but he makes up for it with his tenacity and work ethic. He had a solid game, and considering that he’s only 19, expect the Canadiens amateur scouts to keep a close eye on him in his last year of draft eligibility. Mianscum and Savoie will likely be invited to Laval’s camp and could push for spots in Trois Rivieres if they impress.

Here are a few notable plays from the contest: