The Defence
I think that it is safe to say that the Montreal Canadiens have the defence pretty much sorted out.
Between young but established players in the NHL to players just coming up, the Canadiens have a fantastic mix of defensive defenders, offensive minds, fast skaters and big hitters.
Logan Mailloux’s game has gone up leaps and bounds since he has been drafted, and he looked like a strong presence on the back end.
But the clear standout of the night in any position was Lane Hutson. It’s insane that he fell to 61, and he is proving everyone with questions on his size wrong.
It almost seemed like he never left the ice. Hutson was always making plays, whether stripping the puck in his own zone, to walking the line and making fantastic passes. Hutson is undoubtedly a future star.
The Forwards
It may have taken a little bit, but the offence showed up. Particularly early in the third, with 3 goals in just under 2.5 minutes.
Okay, that isn’t exactly fair. The offence was buzzing throughout, and had some fantastic chances, but bounces and shots were just not going their way.
Kirby Dach returned to the ice after his scary injury last year and looked pretty good. He was engaged and physical, and had one of Montreal’s best chances that he rang off the post.
Jared Davidson was a pleasant surprise this game, single-handedly causing Montreal’s first goal, doing everything but put it in the net, and earning a second assist on David Savard’s goal. While Davidson still needs at least a season or two in the minors, he has marked himself as a player to watch now and in the future.
Other young forwards that made their mark include Luke Tuch who had a solid game, Joshua Roy who flashed his creativity and offensive skill, and Oliver Kapanen who at times flew around the ice and had some great chances.
One just hopes that the Habs can find a bit more finishing to their game. This could have been a lot more one-sided, but some grade-A scoring chances were missed on.
All-In-all, it was a fantastic start to the preseason for the Canadiens. There wasn’t a very weak performance anywhere, and a lot of players are making pretty strong cases for NHL playing time. It will be fascinating to see how the roster evolves over these next games, especially on that packed blue line.
The Montreal Canadiens next preseason game is on Tuesday September 24th at 7:00pm E.S.T.