4 standout performances for the Canadiens in final preseason games

The Montreal Canadiens finished their preseason with two games on Saturday night with one squad in Montreal to play the Senators and the other group heading to Ottawa. Both games essentially consisted of the home team using mostly their NHL roster, and the visitors being comprised of players heading to the AHL.

For the Canadiens, they sent the home fans home happy as they would secure a 4-2 win over the Senators. Meanwhile, the team in Ottawa fell behind 3-1 in the second period but fought back in the third period to tie it at three. However, William Eklund put the Senators back in the lead with a goal and that would be the game-winning goal as they won 4-3 in Ottawa.

These are four players across the two games that stood out for the Montreal Canadiens.

Florian Xhekaj

Florian Xhekaj is fighting for a spot on the Montreal Canadiens roster and, on Saturday night, was on the team that consisted of players expected to be on that NHL roster. What was impressive about his performance is that he not only looked like he belonged but also stood out as one of the top performers.

It started almost immediately on his first shift, where he jumped on the ice and into the offensive zone. He got a beautiful pass and did not hesistate getting a shot on net. Xhekaj is known for his physicality, which also was on display in this game, but he has an offensive skill set that is often overlooked.

It remains to be seen if Florian Xhekaj will be on the ice Tuesday night when Montreal plays Toronto, but there is no question he did everything he could to put himself in the best position to make the team.

Chris Kreider

The Montreal Canadiens were able to add Chris Kreider only a few days before training camp. It is going to take a little time for him to be completely comfortable in this offense and on the same page as Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.

However, on Saturday night fans got to see exactly why the Canadiens wanted to add Kreider and what he is going to bring to this team.

The goal was in the first period, as the Senators weren't able to control the puck after Nick Suzuki pushed it back in front of the net. This is where Chris Kreider is at his best, and he was able to get the puck and put it in the back of the net.

Samuel Montembeault

The Canadiens decided to have Jacob Fowler get the start in the game in Montreal, but about halfway through, he would be replaced by Samuel Montembeault. The veteran goalie has had plenty of questions around him this summer, and it wasn't even clear that he would be with Montreal at this point in the year.

While the Canadiens are going to want to get Jacob Fowler to the NHL as soon as possible, they probably won't complain about having Montembeault with them if he continues to play like this.

He was tested in the first few minutes after entering the game and had to make big saves. Montembeault finished the game by stopping all 10 shots he faced against the Senators and finished the preseason allowing only one goal.

Sasha Pastujov

The team that went to Ottawa was mostly players who are heading to Laval after these games, and the players who are expected to be on the NHL roster, like Zack Bolduc, Kirby Dach, Oliver Kapanen, and Jakub Dobes, didn't have good nights. However, one player who stood out from this squad was Sasha Pastujov.

The Canadiens added Pastujov this summer in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks and, in the final preseason game had a goal and an assist. The goal came at a pivotal point in the game, as it was in the third period, and helped cap off the comeback to tie it at three. Unfortunately, the Senators would take the lead back to win 4-3.

Roster spots are limited for the Montreal Canadiens, and Pastujov will be with Laval to begin the season. However, if there are always injuries over the course of a season, and depending on how the season goes, Pastujov might make his NHL debut if he continues to play at this level with Laval.

With the preseason schedule wrapped up, the Montreal Canadiens are going to be busy trimming down the roster to NHL required 23 players. They won't have much time as they need to begin preparing for the start of the regular season on Tuesday night.

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