Another solid effort for the Montreal Canadiens as they blanked the New Jersey Devils 3-0 on two goals from Michael Pezzetta and a Nick Suzuki marker.
When’s the last time Montreal started the exhibition season with consecutive shutouts? Perhaps never? Much more likely to see a 6-5 game than a 1-0 one. Samuel Montembeault and Connor Hughes split the shutout this time. Both looked solid – hard to criticize goalies that don’t let any pucks bend the twine. Monty looks poised to pick up where he left off last season.
Consecutive blank slates demonstrate the defence depth at the pro level right now. It looks like Laval will have a solid group with good size especially if Logan Mailloux returns. He had his second solid outing in a row – the only player to dress for each of the first two games. Once again – rumours of his poor defence have been greatly exaggerated.
Competition is a good thing. Owen Beck would have seen Kapanen’s performance last night and heard/read some of the plaudits tossed his way. One more player he has to outplay in camp to be under consideration for a roster spot, so he came out with a lot of jump and had Montreal’s two best scoring chances in the first period. He used his speed effectively all game. His motor was revving high, creating chaos in New Jersey’s zone. Nice to see him get an assist on Pezzetta’s empty netter to seal the game.
Xavier Simoneau had a strong game. He is fearless — he was the first one to grab McDermid in Trudeau’s defence, and set up Pezz nicely for the game’s opening goal. Simoneau may hit another level production-wise in his third AHL campaign. At this point, he looks to be ahead of Sean Farrell on Laval’s depth chart. Farrell was pretty quiet tonight aside from one shot on net.
At what point this season do the Canadiens give Juraj Slafkovsky time on the penalty kill? He has a lot of the traits one looks for in a PKer. He has the size and reach to cut off shooting and passing lanes, and is already an excellent shot blocker. He has the size and tenacity to win a lot of boards battles, and he’s already adept at reading the play
Slaf playing in the high slot on the power play is a subtle change in the power play from last season but it didn’t last. In the second period, he spent a fair bit if time parked in front of the net, then he switched to the bumper. It looks like one of coach St. Louis’ adjustments will be to have a less predictable power play. Have guys moving around more, forcing the opposition into more mistakes.
I missed not having Lane Hutson on the first power play after last night’s game – here’s hoping his stint on the second unit (if camp scrimmages are to be believed) is a short one. With time and space, he can make teams pay…he’s a better quarterback than Mike Matheson.
It is going to take some time to get used to Cole Caufield wearing #13. My first thought was “Boy…did Domi ever shrink.” Caufield was unusually feisty tonight. The Suzuki line wasn’t firing on all cylinders, and that’s fine. It’s early.
David Reinbacher isn’t going to bring fans out of their seats as frequently as Lane Hutson but he’s poised for a teenager. Sometimes that house can be mistaken for a lack of flash but he’s making the smart play without doing too much. He is already an above-average one-on-one defender at the pro level. It is extremely difficult to get around him.
Pezzetta is penciled in as an extra forward right now but hopefully, he dresses for at least half of the games as he brings physical elements, and tonight he was the offensive star. Good for him. Pezz brings it all every game, and he will be needed in the tough divisional matches.
Slaf cracked his head pretty hard on the boards midway through the game. At the very least he’s going to have a stiff neck. Glad that he seems to be okay…that could have been scary.
Filip Mesar had several prime scoring chances each period. Montreal’s coaches may have told him to shoot more often as he was often guilty of passing too much in Kitchener last season. Mesar and Pezzetta led all Habs with five shots on goal apiece. He was using his speed to create chances, and right now, he looks better than Farrell in an NHL exhibition game because of his superior skating ability. Farrell still needs to find another gear. He will likely become a productive AHLer because of his smarts and power-play skills but he’s losing ground on the depth chart.
William Trudeau never struggles at any level because of his high IQ. He makes the right decision 90 percent of the time, and that makes him effective. He had two assists tonight, including a smart feed to Suzuki at the side of the net for a deflection, and was solid in the defensive zone. He would be fighting for an NHL spot on several bluelines but there’s no spot for him right now in Montreal.
His defence partner Zack Hayes did not look out of place. He moves half decently for a 6-3, 227 defender. He has some jam in his game too Hayes was the only Liuga player to hit 100 penalty minutes last season. He was Prince Albert’s captain in 2019-20 and earned a free agent contract with Vegas, appearing in three games for the Golden Knights in 2021-22. He made pretty smart decisions in his Habs debut. He can help Laval and bring a physical veteran presence to a young squad.
Jayden Struble is just so steady out there. It’s hard to believe that he’s only played 56 NHL games – he looks like a seasoned pro. Another defender who doesn’t make life difficult. He makes the safe play and seldom overhandles the puck. He’s an underrated skater – smooth and agile but also possesses a powerful stride.
