Josh Anderson
Josh Anderson has been a revelation for the Canadiens this season. He scored just one goal in 26 games last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, he has been excellent for the Habs this season.
Anderson has an unmatched combination of speed, size, skill and hands that make him a tremendously valuable players in the National Hockey League. He showed all of those assets in his first shift of the game against the Maple Leafs last night.
Anderson used his size and strength to cause a turnover, then made a solid body check on Jake Muzzin to open some space. Then he used his speed to jump into the rush and got a pass from Jonathan Drouin before beating Frederik Andersen to open the scoring just 1:16 into the first period.
There wasn’t a lot to love about the Canadiens game last night. They turned the puck over far too much, were too passive on their forecheck, and didn’t create enough quality scoring chances.
Not many Habs had a great night but Anderson was one of the few exceptions. He played mistake free hockey and used his speed and size to cause a little havoc in the Leafs zone. It wasn’t his best night of the season, but he was the best Canadiens player last night.