|
Can Tinordi Stick? Weekend Notes... |
|
|
|
|
|
1) As the Leafs and Sabres let the stupidities fly last night, the rest of the division sat by watching with great amusement.
The Leafs are now destined to start their season without David Clarkson, who will be suspended for at least 10 games after leaving the bench to defend Phil Kessel from the wrath of John Scott.
Oh yeah...before that happened, Phil Kessel had no issue protecting himself with a couple of the most vicious slashes you'll ever see. On the first one, you really can't blame him, as Scott tells him he's going to jump him, and sure enough, Scott follows through on his promise. The second one was while Scott was tied up, and it was an ankle buster, if I've ever seen one.
And though I don't disagree with what Kessel did to defend himself, I can't condone it either.
Could it cost Kessel some regular season action?
2) John Scott.
Do the Sabres need this guy when they already have Cody McCormick and Patrick Kaleta?
Scott should be suspended for instigating this brawl. He should be suspended for going after Kessel the way he did.
Rivalries heat up throughout the season, but there's no need for this kind of nonsense in a preseason game. I can't deny that certain fans absolutely love the kind of show these teams put on last night, and the anticipation of their next meeting in November will surely be talked about from now until then.
When it comes down to it, the Leafs lose huge on this one. They lose Clarkson before he even has a chance to make his official debut with the team. They possibly lose Kessel for a game or two in the regular season. But, most of all, they lose because they've exacerbated a rivalry with a bottom-dwelling team that's likely to cause more damage to them at some point this year.
3) Makes you think about what might happen between the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators, as the Habs wrap their training camp with back-to-back games this Wednesday and Thursday.
4) Let's talk about the three prospects sent packing on Sunday by head coach Michel Therrien.
Mike McCarron. He did extremely well in his first training camp. Not sure who could've come up with the scouting report that his skating isn't up to par (couldn't be further from the truth).
McCarron's growth over the two weeks he spent in Montreal was remarkable. By the end of his time with the Canadiens, he showed great confidence and brilliant promise. He's intense, he's skilled, he's got reach and puck protection skills, he's physical, and he's going to turn into a really good player. His play throughout training camp lent a lot of credence to the little celebration Timmins and Bergevin had when they found out he was still available in the first round, regardless of his projection.
Sebastien Collberg came into camp hurt, but he also came in as the most acclaimed offensive prospect in the team's system. Rust aside, his skill level is very apparent. He'll have to put it to work in the Swedish Elite League, where scoring is hard to come by. If he comes into camp next season healthy, watch out. He's going to turn some heads.
Dustin Tokarski is bound to start for the Hamilton Bulldogs, and he showed enough to make the Canadiens believe he can be a reliable option if Carey Price or Peter Budaj suffer an injury.
5) I'm not sure Michel Therrien and his cohorts can ignore the physicality Jarred Tinordi can offer them while Alexei Emelin's on the sidelines. The contract situation in Montreal with all their defensemen on one-way deals makes it nearly impossible to keep Tinordi with the team, but is he showing them enough to have Bergevin consider trading someone off his blue line?
Even if Tinordi is proving himself worthy of a top-six position, Bergevin's made it pretty clear that defensive depth is one of the most important cards he currently holds.
6) I've posited that it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for Tinordi to stick around Montreal, waiting for an injury or an opportunity borne of bad play, but consensus is that it would obviously be better for him to return to Hamilton and eat up top minutes.
I have to believe the Canadiens agree. And that's why, with Davis Drewiske sidelined for the next three and a half weeks, I think there's a strong chance that Greg Pateryn will be kept as the team's seventh defenseman.
7) Obviously, it was a really tough night for Pateryn on Saturday, although he put in a brilliant performance against the Canes on Friday, in Quebec City. He and Tinordi have played a lot of hockey in this training camp, and the Canadiens have only taken one day off since the whole thing started.
8) Going back to Friday, the 6-0 preseason win was irrelevant, but there were things about the game that weren't.
a) David Desharnais was the best player on the ice. Preseason or not, that was extremely important for him. In a game where he was supposed to be among the best, he was the best. That will go a long way towards building up his confidence.
b) Darren Dietz was on his way out of town when Drewiske, Murray and Bouillon hit the clinic, and he was called back and got to play in both weekend games. What a great opportunity for him to keep showing the Canadiens what he can do. His future looks very bright, and his pass up the ice to Brandon Prust on the team's second goal, Friday, was unbelievable (Credit Magnus Nygren on that one. My bad!).
c) Michael Bournival has clearly established himself as the team's first call up from Hamilton. You get the sense that when he does get his chance, he's going to make it count.
d) Galchenyuk at centre. We may not see it at the beginning of the year, but it wouldn't take much for the Canadiens to consider making that move permanent. He just looks so much more comfortable there.
9) Satruday was the first game for Rene Bourque, Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Markov. All three of them looked really good.
At practice Sunday, Brian Gionta was back to completing a line with Bourque and Plekanec. Bouillon was back in his spot, while Murray took some laps with Alexei Emelin. Travis Moen was also back in his spot next to Brandon Prust and Ryan White.
Nathan Beaulieu also made it back to practice and hopes to play tonight against the New Jersey Devlis.
10) If there's one player that needs to show something between now and the beginning of the season, it's Raphael Diaz.
Diaz has the ability to get to another level, but he hasn't shown any proof so far that he's going to. If Tinordi continues to force the team's hand, it could very well be at Diaz's expense, regardless of the differences between what they both bring to the table. It may not happen right off the bat (it probably won't), but with the defensive depth on the team, the internal competition should bring out the best in each player at the position.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»