SUMMARY
MONTREAL – No need to get excited about a preseason opener, but we saw some reassuring breakthroughs from Patrik Laine, as well as other interesting plays from Lane Hutson in this 5-0 win against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Here are our observations from the game in which Luke Tuch scored the winning goal.
Some successes for Laine and a dose of affection
Let’s give precedence to Laine, who quickly noticed the crowd’s support. As soon as he touched the puck, the fans rushed to applaud him warmly.
Laine’s last regular game was on December 14, so coach Martin St-Louis urged patience, but the Finn has started his preparation on the right foot.
“I thought he played a good game without having played in a long time. He touched the puck a lot and usually that means you were in the right spots. I liked his decisions on the ice,” St-Louis observed.
Laine sprinkled sequences throughout this performance in front of his new audience. The spectators were waiting for his throw so naturally that he was able to release a few times.
The 26-year-old has also maneuvered around opponents with ease, developing a connection with Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook.
“There were still a lot of good things. We managed some nice little sequences without having seen much action together. We still need to improve to shoot on net more often,” reacted Laine.
It is assumed that the CH leaders will have especially liked the superb sequence of the second trio at the end of the second engagement. An inspired exchange between Hutson, Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook and Laine which was stolen by Cal Petersen with his glove.
Hutson in the heart of the action
So, Hutson was the cause of this goal by recovering a puck at the offensive blue line. This play was his best of the evening, except that we mainly remember his body of work.
Because Hutson, even though he says he’s still discovering what works in the NHL, was in the thick of the action from start to finish. Able to support the attack, Hutson also made a very effective defensive cutback against Sean Couturier.
No, Hutson didn’t have a perfect game as he was outpaced at times, but that mostly came when he was put in a less than advantageous situation.
During a break, he was also seen talking with Dach, Laine, Newhook and David Savard to explore options.
Valuable goals for Tuch and Anderson
The respective reasons are completely different, but Luke Tuch and Josh Anderson certainly enjoyed the goal they scored in this match.
Of course, Tuch was happy to be able to thread the needle to showcase his good pitch and even more to prove his worth. Credit to Jared Davidson who orchestrated the whole thing by causing a turnaround.
As for Anderson, you will understand that every goal, no matter the context, will give him confidence. This time, mention to Joshua Roy for his superb pass.
“If Josh goes well, it will be very helpful for our team,” the coach recalled.
Kapanen continues his demonstration
Early in the third period, the Canadiens scored three goals in just 2:33 to cruise to this triumph. This offensive surge pleased St-Louis, but he was especially happy with the patience of his team, which drained several penalties in the first period.
“We managed the game, we were patient without trying to do too much. We played the game, that’s what impresses me, it’s a good sign of maturity,” commented St-Louis.
Besides Anderson and David Savard, Emil Heineman was the other goal scorer. A well-deserved result since the trio he completed with Oliver Kapanen and Alex Barré-Boulet did a solid job. Moreover, Barré-Boulet scored the last goal for his team.
“It went well, the chemistry is good with them. We made small simple plays and it worked. In addition, we were able to capitalize on our chances,” described Barré-Boulet who wants to prove that he can help offensively while being responsible defensively.
Kapanen likely has no intention of slowing down, and his efficiency has fueled interest in keeping an eye on him. The 21-year-old Swede isn’t afraid to say his goal is to play in the NHL this season.
Primeau was ready for this step
Let’s finish with Cayden Primeau who was convincing in front of the Habs’ goal. Yes, he gave up a goal that was not noted by the referees.
But Primeau demonstrated a sharp technique and obvious control.
“Yeah, I felt good, my readings were good. I was losing sight of the puck a little bit with the big players in front of me. That will be an aspect to work on,” Primeau said.
Shortly after the halfway mark, Primeau gave up his place in goal to Jakub Dobes, who made 12 saves in nearly 29 minutes of action.
On Tuesday, the Canadiens will host the Devils. On Thursday, the team will play in Toronto while on Saturday it will be the Leafs’ turn to play in Montreal.
