For a while now, things haven’t exactly been going very well for the Canadian. The club has lost six of its last eight games, but what is more worrying is the manner in which it is losing them.
He is not just defeated: he is constantly outclassed by his opponent.
And among the guys who are singled out, there is Christian Dvorak. The veteran isn’t exactly playing inspired hockey, and right now he’s hurting the Habs’ cause more than helping.
So that means that at this moment, we say to ourselves that there is perhaps (at least) a seat to be taken in Montreal. And if there’s anyone who understood that, it’s Owen Beck.
Yesterday, for example, the kid scored this very nice shorthanded goal, a goal which turned out to be the winning goal for the Rocket in a match where the club was somewhat saved by its goaltender, Connor Hughes.
The school club also has a record of 7-1-0, despite the overflowing infirmary.
In the immediate future, the only reinforcement the CH will have is that which is internal. Early season trades in the NHL are very rare, and often a club has to massively overpay to get reinforcements at this point in the season.
And that’s not Kent Hughes’ usual way of doing things.
Beck seems to be aware of this. The youngster has five points in his last five games, and we already feel like a fish in water among the professionals. The adaptation of a guy who already played a pro style in junior wasn’t too complex.
I’m not telling you this morning that the CH must recall Owen Beck immediately. In fact, letting him mature a few more months in the Rocket’s environment (which, at the moment, is much rosier than that of the Canadian) is perhaps not a bad thing.
That said, no one is going to convince me this morning that Beck would do worse than Dvorak in the NHL. The CH would be thin in terms of left-handed centers with such a change, but Dvorak is a problem at the moment, and if we want immediate reinforcement, he will have to come from within.
I would have told you about Michael Hage, who made this sublime pass yesterday, but he is in the NCAA. At best, he’ll be in town at the very end of the season…if he doesn’t return to spend another year in the NCAA in 2025-26.
Beck isn’t the only option (Joshua Roy is a name coming up, and Brandon Gignac is also doing a good job if the club wants a veteran), but right now he’s playing like a guy who wants to take the starting chair. Dvorak with the Canadian.
The question is whether he will take this chair next season… or within a few weeks.
In burst
– Speaking of CH hopes.
– What do you think?
– It was the evening Les Boys in Quebec yesterday.
– Impressive.
– We wish him the best.
