Montreal Canadiens: Final Preseason Game Gave Reason For Excitement
Alex Newhook
Alex Newhook looked like the fastest player on the ice every shift, and the speed at which he was able to handle bouncing passes, and stickhandle around defenders was very fun to watch. He centred the second power play, and it’s easy to see why he was coveted by Kent Hughes because his speed and hockey IQ certainly make him a huge part of what the Canadiens want to do going forward. Young, smart and fast, and his motor doesn’t stop, which reminds me a little of Paul Byron and Martin St. Louis, very impressive performance.
He showed a willingness to fly through the neutral zone every chance that he got, and he showed a lot of confidence with the puck on his stick. DJ Smith had no answer for Newhook, and he was fully aware of the time and space that was available to him. His line was great the whole night, and both his linemates complemented his explosive speed beautifully.
Mike Matheson
Mike Matheson has a tendency to grab the puck, and just draw everyone in the arena’s eyes’ towards him with his elite skating. The number power play ran through him, and he just made everything look so easy, with his poised and calm play style. He never looks uncomfortable and even if he is out of position, within two strides he is right where he needs to be.
It hasn’t been a question of who the number one defenseman for the Canadiens is, and he proves it every time he touches the ice. He earned an assist using his great lateral mobility, and a smart shot selection, which opened up a rebound in the slot for Slafkovsky. He will continue being the leader on the blue line, and mentor for the young defence corps, aside from David Savard, who is older.
Kirby Dach
Kirby Dach is going to be a problem for the opposition, he looked so confident and calculated with each rush that he made up the ice. He didn’t shoot very much, which I would like to see more of, but he was great, and in large part, a huge reason for his line’s success. That’s no disrespect to Newhook and Slafkovsky, who both had strong performances, but a testament to how strong of a game the Dach had down the middle.
He was strong along the boards, and held his own, using reverse hits to send Senators to the ice after trying to knock him down. He is the perfect complement to Suzuki, forming a nice one-two punch down the middle for the Canadiens. The confidence to use his puck skills has grown, and he has developed a knack for making defenders miss when trying to poke the puck off his stick.
These guys were sort of expected to play strong and lead the team into battle, so it’s not a surprise, but a very good sign of things to come. Chemistry and growth could prove to be a mantra for the 2024 Canadiens, and prove to surprise many who doubt them wrong. Hockey is the kind of sport, where new teams surprise and the best teams have off years, so the Canadiens could be a team to refrain from taking lightly.
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