Due to a previous commitment I was unable to watch the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night at the Bell Centre. Puck props & flops will return after Saturday night’s contest between the Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It was announced on Friday morning that forward Daniel Carr has been assigned to the St. John’s Ice Caps of the AHL:
Les Canadiens ont cédé l'attaquant Daniel Carr aux IceCaps ce matin. / Canadiens assigned forward Daniel Carr to St. John's today. pic.twitter.com/CqjuKZL5pt
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 28, 2016
The timing of the move makes perfect sense as the Canadiens next two games are tomorrow night and then Wednesday November 2nd against the Vancouver Canucks. If head coach Michel Therrien was not going to insert Carr against the Maple Leafs, then at least he will get some much needed playing time with the Ice Caps. Carr had picked up an assist in the Canadiens first game of the season but did not follow it up with a strong performance against the Ottawa Senators in the team’s only loss of 2016-2017. Brian Flynn has played well enough in Carr’s place but he plays a different game, one that is more suited towards the fourth line and penalty kill. It is really the strong play of Paul Byron who has kept Carr out of the lineup as he has played quite well wherever he has been placed by Therrien. It is hard to argue against the two goals and three assists that Byron has contributed in the top nine thus far.
There is little doubt that Carr is an NHL player who can contribute to the Canadiens success. Unfortunately for him, the Canadiens have a number of players on the team right now who are contributing to their surprising 7-0-1 record to start the season.
The addition of Carr will surely bolster the Ice Caps lineups who won their first two games of the season last weekend with the return of goalie Charlie Lindgren. Upfront, head coach Sylvain Lefebvre will have his strongest top six in quite some time: Carr, Sven Andrighetto, Michael McCarron, Charles Hudon, Nikita Scherbak and Chris Terry. If the Ice Caps struggle this weekend when they have a full arsenal of weapons, serious questions will need to be asked by management regarding the coaching in St. John’s.
I’ll be back tomorrow with a game preview vs. the Maple Leafs.
Cheers & follow along! Follow @Jenbcutler