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Post by The Habitual Fan on Sept 7, 2019 18:38:19 GMT -5
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 7, 2019 19:09:42 GMT -5
#68 red, looks a bit awkward on his skates ...
Cheers.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 7, 2019 19:24:17 GMT -5
#59 red, keep two hands on your stick ...
Cheers.
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Post by folatre on Sept 7, 2019 19:50:45 GMT -5
Some good passing by the Habs on the power play but the kid in the slot was not quite fine enough. Poehling and Fleury looked smooth there.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 7, 2019 19:51:37 GMT -5
#68 red, went off the ice all hunched over near the end of the 2nd ... he's fine ... Also some Twitter chatter that #25 red was hurt ... Not true, he hasn't missed a shift ... #71 red, very strong game ... Very noticeable ... #14 red, strong game, also ...
Cheers.
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Post by folatre on Sept 7, 2019 20:21:12 GMT -5
Thanks for the live reporting, Dis. I watched the first and the third periods. Some of the kids looked good.
Ottawa had a big edge up front and at the end of the day that made the difference. Their forward group included more boys that already look the part in professional hockey (Brown, Varonnaeu, Batherson, Abramov, Formenton),
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 7, 2019 22:01:30 GMT -5
Thanks, folatre ... wanted to mention #85 white in the 1st, but I was fighting with my phone and missing too much of the action ... add #77 red to those having a good game ... he was on a line with #25 and #14 ... #25 red reminds me of Pacioretty when he gets to full-stride, but I didn't think he was much of a factor in this game ... #14 red was very noticeable whenever he was on the ice ... add #71 red as having a good game, also ... he played like a veteran amongst rookies ... a step faster and smarter; he could have been our best player besides #14 red ... #46 red, good game ... #30 red was left on his own on a couple of OTT goals ... heading back tomorrow for the Winnipeg/Montreal game ... putting some pics up on Twitter and I'll try to transfer them over sometime tonight or tomorrow ...
Cheers.
Oh yeah ...
#77 Rafael Harvey-Pinard,
#71 Jake Evans,
#46 Josh Brook,
#30 Caden Primeau,
#25 Ryan Poehling, and
#14 Nick Suzuki.
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Post by GNick99 on Sept 8, 2019 7:44:36 GMT -5
Thanks, folatre ... wanted to mention #85 white in the 1st, but I was fighting with my phone and missing too much of the action ... add #77 red to those having a good game ... he was on a line with #25 and #14 ... #25 red reminds me of Pacioretty when he gets to full-stride, but I didn't think he was much of a factor in this game ... #14 red was very noticeable whenever he was on the ice ... add #71 red as having a good game, also ... he played like a veteran amongst rookies ... a step faster and smarter; he could have been our best player besides #14 red ... #46 red, good game ... #30 red was left on his own on a couple of OTT goals ... heading back tomorrow for the Winnipeg/Montreal game ... putting some pics up on Twitter and I'll try to transfer them over sometime tonight or tomorrow ... Cheers. Oh yeah ... #77 Rafael Harvey-Pinard, #71 Jake Evans, #46 Josh Brook, #30 Caden Primeau, #25 Ryan Poehling, and #14 Nick Suzuki. Good to hear about Brook and Suzuki. I wanted to go this year but too busy with work. Can't always have the time |
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Post by mikeg on Sept 8, 2019 8:28:00 GMT -5
Marc Dumont’s observations from The Athletic BELLEVILLE, Ont. – The Canadiens rookies took to the ice for the first time on Saturday, facing the Ottawa Senators, a team that bulldozed the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 8-1 the previous night. Montreal controlled the play, outshooting Ottawa 36-24, though they fell 4-2. The good news is that Senators teammates Jon Gruden and Logan Brown did not get into a fight, though that hypothetical Gruden-Brown altercation probably wouldn’t have made the news. But I digress… A few obersvations: Nick Suzuki steals the show Suzuki was the clear standout from an offensive standpoint, offering a glimpse of his talent at various points in the game. He took advantage of a disjointed defence to create several scoring chances, as well as a rather embarrassing moment for the Senators rookies. His chemistry with Ryan Poehling was quite evident, with Poehling acting as the playmaker and Suzuki being the trigger man, especially on the power play, where Suzuki failed to capitalize on a few decent scoring chances. For the record, they shared faceoff duties on Saturday night, though Poehling received the majority of them. But we all know Suzuki has offensive talent. On top of that, his defensive play wasn’t just good, it was excellent. Joël Bouchard only has one gear It may only be early September, but Bouchard doesn’t care much about calendars, nor does he tolerate wasting an opportunity to teach. Following the morning skate on Saturday the Canadiens brought out two players, Jake Evans and Cale Fleury, with the promise of more shortly thereafter. But the scrums were cut short by Bouchard, asking whether the media would like to take part in the penalty kill video session. The message was sent with a smile, but it was also quite clear. He has a finite amount of time to work with some of these prospects and he’s eager to get going. Weight watchers Cale Fleury’s exit meeting with the Canadiens focused on one thing: his weight. Fleury is the most NHL-ready of the defensive prospects, and his play on Saturday night was further proof that he’s inching closer to the NHL. He was easily the best defenceman on the ice, throwing well-timed hits, driving the play up the ice and preventing a few high-danger chances against his goaltender. That’s not out of character for Fleury. He’s a smart defenceman and plays an impressive brand of hockey when he can keep up with the play. On Saturday night he didn’t just keep up with the play, he was often the one leading the charge. That’s partly due to the work he did this summer, splitting time between Brossard and Calgary, with a focus on his skating, the one obvious flaw in his game. He also lost 10 pounds, as per the team’s orders, and now weighs-in at a solid 205. Man seeking contract Rafaël Harvey-Pinard is slated to play in the QMJHL this season as captain of the Chicoutimi Saguenéens. Unless he turns pro, a notion that was, and probably still is, far fetched, though he made great strides on Saturday night when it came to convincing Marc Bergevin and company that he’s ready to take the next step. He played on a line with Suzuki and Poehling, but he wasn’t just a passenger, he was leading the charge with what seemed like an endless supply of energy. He also scored the line’s lone goal of the game, taking advantage of the time and space available in the offensive zone. He won’t earn a contract with the Canadiens just yet, especially since they’re already sitting at 48 professional contracts, but a deal with the Rocket is not out of the question. If he keeps impressing, it’ll become a legitimate discussion. The numbers do lie Cayden Primeau allowed three goals on 23 shots, finishing with a lowly .870 save percentage on the night. He was beaten by a screen and a perfect 2-on-1 one-timer. The one goal he could have saved took place after a terrible giveaway by Josh Brook, which gave Vitaly Abramov enough time to draw up a game plan, consult several mentors via telegram, write a part of his memoirs, and eventually score. Goals aside, he demonstrated the type of calm demeanour Canadiens fans are accustomed to seeing in the NHL from a goalie that we won’t bother naming, but you can probably guess his name. For example, he made a breakaway save halfway through the second period after Gianni Fairbrother eschewed his defensive responsibilities. It wasn’t spectacular, and it was far from his best save of the game, but it evoked memories of…well, you know who. Of course, it’s unfair to make such comparisons this early in Primeau’s career, but it’s also impossible to ignore how little energy he wastes while making saves. He already looks like an NHL goalie. Brook’d it Josh Brook is just 20. He only has seven professional games under his belt and he is one of the Canadiens’ best prospects on the blue line. He’s going to need a fair amount of time to put it all together. Probably more time than most have anticipated. It’s not that he lacks talent. It’s his lack of experience that is hurting him at the pro level. His time in Laval last season was unspectacular, as was his game against the Senators, although that’s probably a little too kind. To put it bluntly, he wasn’t good. That’s fine. He wants to do it all at once and that’s simply not how it goes for most hockey players. He’ll learn, and the best way to do that is by working through the mistakes, which were plentiful on Saturday night. Revenge is a dish best left in the fridge At one point in the first period, Jake Evans had an opportunity to absolutely demolish Jonathan Aspirot with a clean hit. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Aspirot is the one who concussed Evans at the rookie tournament last season. Instead of going for the obvious hit, Evans stole the puck and created a scoring chance, a much smarter hockey play, though certainly less satisfying for the Canadiens prospect. Import draft Otto Leskinen is a newcomer in North America, but his professional experience in Europe has clearly shaped him into a confident, smooth-passing defenceman that has the ability to drive offence from the back end. He got pushed off the puck rather easily and had a hard time finding forwards with crisp passes, though that was mostly due to the lack of chemistry among the players. Overall, he made smart decisions with the puck and looked good when used as the power play quarterback. Surprise impressions I was keeping a close eye on some of the second-tier prospects, such as Allan McShane, Cam Hillis and Cole Fonstand, but it was Liam Hawel that took the glory. The 2017 Dallas Stars 4th-round draft pick doesn’t have the same skill level as the aforementioned players, but he outplayed them by a significant margin. At 6-foot-4, he’s one of the biggest players in camp, which led to power play time with Hawel creating plenty of shade in the crease. Good vibrations You never expect a team assembled in this manner to have much, if any chemistry, and that was definitely the case for the Canadiens against the Senators. However, compared to last season’s rookie team, this year’s edition has an overabundance of talent. You can’t expect every key prospect to score a hat trick on any given night unless his name is Poehling, and even then, that may only work against the Toronto Maple Leafs. But you do want the best players to stand out, especially against fellow rookies, and for the most part, that was the case for the Canadiens prospects theathletic.com/1191812/2019/09/08/nick-suzuki-and-rafael-harvey-pinard-stand-out-for-the-canadiens-in-the-first-game-of-the-rookie-showcase/ |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 8, 2019 10:10:44 GMT -5
I remember the giveaway by Josh Brook, but I didn't know it was Brook who did it ... I was in the 2nd row at the opposite end of the ice when it occurred ... I tried seeing who it was that gave the puck away but I just couldn't see the player ... still, even given his gaffe I thought he had a good game ... will be in the Molson box tonight courtesy of CO ...
Cheers.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 8, 2019 10:53:38 GMT -5
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 8, 2019 11:39:17 GMT -5
It is awesome to have some Habs hockey back, but always hard to read too much into a first rookie game. The Sens team did come in with more experience for sure and had played a game together already, so they would have a tad more chemistry than our boys. I read that 6-7 of the Sens players have some NHL games under their belt, compared to the Habs with only Poehling’s one game. So a slight edge in both experience and chemistry, but I like how a few of our key guys did.
Evans and Fleury showed what one year under Bouchard can do. They came in understanding what he wants them to do, and have that experience of playing a full AHL season. That is easier than the less experienced kids, even though Fleury is still only 20. Suzuki and Poehling are top notch prospects who have played in big games against top tier competition, so their performances should not surprise. RHP looked very good playing with Suzuki and Poehling, and might have been the most pleasant one-game surprise. He was the captain of a Memorial Cup winner, is 20, and is known for his great work ethic, so good to see the overager from last draft making a good first impression.
Brook had a rough game, but he is still young and has lots to learn. He is just starting his pro career, so I am sure that Bouchard will guide him in making the adjustments to help keep developing his game. The kid has lots of promise, IMO. Hawel, from what I read, was the most noticeable tryout at the development camp. So, the same should be expected in these games. I fully expect him to get an AHL deal out of things, if he is willing to settle for a show-me AHL that will let him show the team whether he is good enough for an NHL deal down the road. I would expect Struthers gets a similar AHL deal offer, despite his injury and him missing camp.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 8, 2019 12:16:34 GMT -5
It is awesome to have some Habs hockey back, but always hard to read too much into a first rookie game. The Sens team did come in with more experience for sure and had played a game together already, so they would have a tad more chemistry than our boys. I read that 6-7 of the Sens players have some NHL games under their belt, compared to the Habs with only Poehling’s one game. So a slight edge in both experience and chemistry, but I like how a few of our key guys did. It showed last night ... the 'Habs' defence corps got outworked down low on quite a few shifts ... Jake Evans had a pretty decent game ... as I mentioned, #71 red was a step faster and seemed to be 'smarter' than most of his teammates ... Nick Suzuki played extremely well ... something I noticed in the warmup; Suzuki and (another Habs prospect) were practicing cross-ice passes ... that may not seem like it's all that important, but they were standing along the boards across from each other and the puck was sometimes 3/4 feet off the ice ... they were stationary but the puck went tape-to-tape every time ... saw Suzuki's passing prowess during the game ... I only realized it was Josh Brook who coughed up the puck that led to an Ottawa goal ... his defence partner was Gianni Fairbrother and I thought he had a terrible game ... I've been corresponding with a Montreal-based journalist via email and he's the second journalist to mention Liam Hawel #49 ... "He’s a big kid who can skate and is very good positionally on both sides of the ice." Cheers. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 8, 2019 19:27:39 GMT -5
2-1 WPG after two. Habs outshooting them 19-12. The Jets scored on one of their 3 shots this period. A shortie, right after a four on four stretch and just after the Habs went on the PP. Primeau will want that one back.
Suzuki on the RW with Poehling and RHP again. He did get PK shifts at centre and plays the point on the PP.
Alain with our marker in the first. Evans has looked solid through 40 minutes. He seems to be faster than last year.
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Post by seventeen on Sept 8, 2019 20:11:11 GMT -5
2-1 Evans has looked solid through 40 minutes. He seems to be faster than last year. Excellent, Dis. I've always liked the way Evans plays, but during the Spengler cup, his lack of footspeed really showed. If he's fixed that, he's a legitimate prospect IMO. Not a top 7 guys, but a definite 4th liner with potential to be a 3rd liner, if not with us, with someone else. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 8, 2019 20:20:50 GMT -5
2-1 final. Down by one, the boys were outshot 8-2 in the third. That included the last minute and a half on the PP where they pulled Primeau and were 6 on 4. They did not manage a shot during that stretch.
Fleury was the best D. Not sure there was a dominant forward tonight. A lot of guys looked okay for shifts, but did not carry it all game.
Pretty sloppy passing and flow tonight. Not sure many of these guys should get invites to the main camp, but the reality is a bunch will and will inevitably be early cuts.
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Post by seventeen on Sept 8, 2019 20:29:45 GMT -5
Yeah. While the Habs quality is better than last year, It's still short of what Ottawa is throwing out there. Brannstrom, for Chrise sake. Anyway, the Sens are seriously short at the NHL level so these guys beating our prospects are going to find it a tad different playing the big boys. I'm guess that quite a few of these Sens will be regulars for Ottawa this year. No wonder they're pegged for 31st. Good kids, but they're just kids still.
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Post by folatre on Sept 8, 2019 21:15:59 GMT -5
Plenty of imprecision in this one. It is tough to get acclimated to guys that you have never really played with and then factor in the nerves, so all in all I thought things went fine.
I do not have the slightest idea about the Jets' prospects. But last night it was clear Ottawa had a significant edge with half a dozen forwards who have already adjusted to professional hockey.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 8, 2019 22:47:50 GMT -5
Those who impressed tonight were ... #71 Jake Evans with another impressive effort ... hoping he makes an impression at camp ... #88 Cam Willis seemed to get a lot of ice time tonight, and he responded with a pretty good effort ... CO's player, #55 Michael Pezzetta, had a good game ... saw him on the ice a lot tonight ... the defence pairing of #59 Gianni Fairbrother and #46 Josh Brook were split up ... it worked out well for Fairbrother who had a pretty good game while Brook struggled a bit more ... he may have lost a tooth in a collision with a Jets forward ... we also talked about #64 Otto Liskenen ... he's poised, has decent wheels, and can play in both ends equally well ... those who didn't have a good game ... #91 Dylan Plouffe looked awkward ... Brook ... saw Marc Bergevin chatting with Kevin Cheveldaoff tonight ... they were just down the hall from our box ...
Cheers.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 9, 2019 9:40:16 GMT -5
I thought our best defenders last night were Fleury, Fairbrother and Leskinen. I think Fleury emerged as the top D out of these two games, looking as dominant and I and many thought Josh Brook would look this past weekend. That year of seasoning does make a difference to get your game "pro ready". Fairbrother looked overwhelmed a big on Saturday, but was really solid last night. He looked more composed and was moving with more confidence. Good start for an 18 year old at his first camp. I will be tracking his season with interest. Leskinen does come in with Liiga experience, and looks like a decently mobile defender with good vision and IQ. It will be interesting to see how he does against men in the smaller rinks where he will have a lot less time and space. I want to see how he handles himself down low, not just in the offensive zone where he looks very capable.
Fleury #83 doing a number of good things. Red was Saturday night against the Sens, white was last night against the Jets.
Here is an example of Fairbrother jumping into the play last night and making some decent puck decisions. Pezzetta was set up really nicely in front. Pezzetta was really good on the forecheck all night. He plays his role.
And a peek at Leskinen (#64) for those who missed the game.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 9, 2019 9:49:31 GMT -5
Up front, I really thought Evans had two good games. He is older than most, so it was a bit expected. If he has a chance at some NHL career, he should look decent in an event like this. I have always liked his hockey IQ, but he does look faster to me...and that is big as his skating was the thing holding him back (and perhaps his lack of physical game). He is #71 in white as he rushes up the ice, through the Jets, to get a backhand shot off. This play got a "wow" out of me last night!
Poehling and Suzuki were not as dominant in game two as they were in the first game; however, they are the skills class of this forward bunch for sure. It will be interesting to see them in main camp and in preseason games, with better linemates in more structured games. I thought RHP made a good first impression in his two games. It does not hurt playing with Suzuki and Poehling for 5 periods (Bouchard split up Poehling and Suzuki in the third of the Winnipeg game). I also though Hillis looked decent last night, and was the best of all our second year guys. He has already shown some good things in his OHL preseason games, so I hope for a good bounce back season from him after those injuries last year.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 9, 2019 9:51:53 GMT -5
Hillis is #88.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 9, 2019 9:56:31 GMT -5
Some game recaps from this weekend from All Habs. There is some audio at the bottom of each article.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 9, 2019 12:11:07 GMT -5
Those cameras were directly across from where we were sitting ... Cam Hillis got a lot of ice time, especially in the 1st period and he responded accordingly ... Cheers. |
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Post by seventeen on Sept 9, 2019 12:52:05 GMT -5
I'm a bit disappointed that Poehling, Suzuki and Brook weren't more impressive. It always helps if your best prospects dominate. I recall, however, not being that great a fan of training camp games and tourneys like this because it's the marginal guys who are going to work their butts off and the better prospects will be more concerned with not getting injured (as would I). When real training camp starts, the top dogs should look better as the situation will be more important for them. As well, it's tough to play with guys who can't always complete a pass or accept a pass well enough, or that you can count on to go to the right places where you've just put the puck.
From the sounds of it, Brook is playing way too tight and needs to relax a bit. Hopefully Bouchard is point that out. Start simple and move up.
Thanks for all the updates, guys.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 9, 2019 15:12:27 GMT -5
Thanks, folatre ... wanted to mention #85 white in the 1st, but I was fighting with my phone and missing too much of the action ... add #77 red to those having a good game ... he was on a line with #25 and #14 ... #25 red reminds me of Pacioretty when he gets to full-stride, but I didn't think he was much of a factor in this game ... #14 red was very noticeable whenever he was on the ice ... add #71 red as having a good game, also ... he played like a veteran amongst rookies ... a step faster and smarter; he could have been our best player besides #14 red ... #46 red, good game ... #30 red was left on his own on a couple of OTT goals ... heading back tomorrow for the Winnipeg/Montreal game ... putting some pics up on Twitter and I'll try to transfer them over sometime tonight or tomorrow ... Cheers. Oh yeah ... #77 Rafael Harvey-Pinard, #71 Jake Evans, #46 Josh Brook, #30 Caden Primeau, #25 Ryan Poehling, and #14 Nick Suzuki. Good to hear about Brook and Suzuki. I wanted to go this year but too busy with work. Can't always have the time Josh Brook was good in the offensive zone, but he had a tough go of it in with the defensive zone ... he didn't look good the following night either ... Marc Dumont's assessment was spot-on ... Cheers. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 9, 2019 16:24:56 GMT -5
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Post by folatre on Sept 9, 2019 17:40:07 GMT -5
Brook will be fine, I think. He just needs to stay within himself. The kid has only played a couple of professional hockey games. He should not be putting pressure on himself during camp because it is not a now or never type moment in his career.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 9, 2019 22:06:52 GMT -5
I have watched a number of his games, all while checking out our old prospect Scott Walford. They were teammates in Victoria. I liked his game, more so than his nameplate.  Tough kid as I am sure he had quite the ride growing up with that handle. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Sept 10, 2019 10:27:56 GMT -5
Here is David St Louis' take on the two prospect games from this past weekend.
Rookie Camp finishes today with a game against CIS players from three Quebec universities today at 1:00 pm ET in Brossard. Not sure if it is being streamed anywhere.
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Tough kid as I am sure he had quite the ride growing up with that handle.