While the Montreal Canadiens lost 5-2 to the Ottawa Senators, there were still positives to take out of the game. The offence looked more alive than it had throughout training camp. Unfortunately the Senators made the Canadiens pay for each costly mistake.
Noah Juulsen, the Montreal Canadiens 2015 first round pick was impressive in his professional debut last night, playing for the first time in a Habs jersey against the Ottawa Senators. Having finally recovered from his concussion, Juulsen was at least able to get in one game and truly experience training camp. I am sure it would have been a disappointment for him had he not been able to play. Juulsen played 13:35 minutes, all at even strength. It did not take long for Juulsen to get acclimatized to the speed of the game. He was poised with the puck, did not panic and skated quite smoothly. Despite his need to fill out his frame of 6’2…, 175 lbs, Juulsen demonstrated that he does not shy away from being physical as he dished out 3 hits to go along with a blocked shot. He also wasn’t afraid to shoot the puck with two shots on net. While he started the game with Alexei Emelin, Juulsen was rewarded with shifts playing alongside P.K. Subban and Nathan Beaulieu. As expected, Juulsen was assigned to his junior team in Everett after the game. What made Juulsen’s night even more impressive was the fact that he only had one week of actual practice. Canadiens fans should be quite pleased with their 1st round pick. Hopefully he will make Team Canada for the World Junior Championships as it would be an excellent opportunity for him to further develop his game.
Wearing the ‘C’ for the first time, Max Pacioretty made his preseason debut as well. It was obvious that he is not at full speed yet, and so these final days of participating fully in training camp will be a great benefit for him. His tape to tape pass on the powerplay to Nathan Beaulieu was perfectly timed, a play I’m sure we’ll see repeated during the regular season. However, Pacioretty’s was a little slow to react especially in the defensive zone which led to 3 giveaways and minus 2 at night’s end. The important thing is that Pacioretty will have another opportunity against Ottawa tomorrow night to continue to work on his timing and I have no doubt that it will not take long for Pacioretty to get back to his usual self.
One player who certainly helped himself last night was forward Devante Smith-Pelly. A natural right winger, Smith-Pelly seemed to be on the outside of the top 12, looking in. He came into camp lighter and faster but it did not seem to help him solidify a spot. During the game last night, head coach Michel Therrien switched Brian Flynn and Smith-Pelly spots and the result was a really encouraging. Despite previous reluctance to playing the left side, Smith-Pelly knows he has to do whatever he can to earn his ice time. Playing on a line with Torrey Mitchell and Zack Kassian, Smith-Pelly had his best game of the preseason. He was fast, engaged and physical, leading the team with 4 hits. He even contributed over two minutes shorthanded, something that we are not accustomed to seeing. This could be a fourth line that is very hard to play against. Zack Kassian has quietly had a very good camp and I could see him and Dale Weise flipping spots every now and then during the regular season.
The chemistry between Lars Eller-Alex Galchenyuk -Alex Semin continues to grow. They have been consistently aggressive in the offensive zone and efficient at getting the puck out of their own end, not to mention their ability to cycle the puck tremendously. The passing is crisp and they are learning each other’s tendencies. While yes, Galchenyuk did struggle in the faceoff circle, it did not deter Therrien whereas last year he might have gotten discouraged. It obviously bothered Galchenyuk as he put in extra time this morning to work on draws. He has a clear desire to continuously improve…
3 on 3 overtime is definitely exciting to watch. The Canadiens will have to improve their timing with line changes and get players used to shorter shifts. While it is tempting to always push the puck up for an odd man rush, if the players are gassed than they are not being as effective as fresh players would be.
After going 2-for-9 last night on face offs Alex Galchenyuk working with Tomas Plekanec at practice #HabsIO #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/iYAkIyHJgQ
— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) October 2, 2015#Habs practice has been over for about a half hour. Alex Galchenyuk's still out there. pic.twitter.com/H6MLNJPM3b
— Ðrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) October 2, 2015At practice today, Semin had a therapy day and Markov left early although Therrien assured everyone that it was nothing serious. Thankfully Therrien did not play Markov 27 minutes last night but still played a little over 23. He should be in the 21-23 minute range during the regular season and be encourage to take rest days. It also appears that Therrien has a strong idea of who will make the final roster and not but he is not tipping his hat just yet.
Therrien says he has a pretty good idea of what #Habs will look like next week. Of course, he didn't share that idea.
— Ðrpon Basu (@ArponBasu) October 2, 2015Check back tomorrow for the lineup against the Senators.
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