Montreal Canadiens: Logan Shaw may get his shot
By Omar L
Based on the lines at practice, it looks like Logan Shaw may make his debut with the Montreal Canadiens tonight against the Washington Capitals.
The game in Boston had another Claude Julien experiment with Jacob de La Rose in between Alex Galchenyuk and Jonathan Drouin. Now, no one is saying that’s the sole reason why the Montreal Canadiens lost – considering it only lasted a period and a bit – but it didn’t help either. It was back to the drawing board ahead of tonight’s game in Washington, and there are more changes to talk about.
Similar to the second half of the Bruins game, Drouin is back at centre with Galchenyuk and Nicolas Deslauriers on the wings. The three didn’t manage to put up any numbers that night, but there were moments when they spent a lot of time in the offensive zone. Additionally, Deslauriers’ willingness to head to the front of the net and create space could be a benefit for Drouin and Galchenyuk.
The other two lines were left untouched, but the fourth line had de La Rose at left wing with Logan Shaw on the right. The 26-year-old has been waiting to make his debut with the Habs since being picked up on waivers earlier in the week.
He plays a grinding and board-working style of hockey that Julien values in a player so it makes sense why he would want to get him in the lineup.
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Unfortunately, Daniel Carr looks to be the casualty of this change. He and de La Rose took turns on the left side, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the latter get the nod based on the decisions Julien has made before.
The defence pairings were left untouched which again doesn’t catch anyone by surprise. Jordie Benn had a very frustrating night against the Bruins and was on the wrong side of turnovers, but there wasn’t any standout from the Habs’ blueline. However, Jakub Jerabek made some good zone-clearing plays and picked up his first NHL goal, and there’s a chance he can take his game to new heights.
The interest will be on the fourth line and L. Shaw. Deslauriers made a name for himself quickly with the Habs, perhaps he can do the same, or at the very least, not stand out in a bad way.
What do you make of the lines? How will L. Shaw play if he makes his debut? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.