GDT: Game 2/2- Habs vs Leafs Prospects - Sept 15- 1pm EST RDS1 & YouTube

[overlords]

Hopefully next year they ensure that the invitational goalies are capable of making a routine save.

I know these games are meaningless but no one likes losing any type of game and they lost both because they literally had high school level goaltending back there. Even if Miller was healthy, the guy playing game 2 has to be a somebody.

I feel like the level of goaltending affected their play, too. Yesterday they were collapsing hard the second toronto had the puck in our zone. Didn't seem as bad today with Drobac but I still think having Dobes in there would have been justifiable with Miller's injury.

 

[JianYang]

Am I the only person who thinks Farrell looks like he’s wearing makeup?

No, you are not

 

[overlords]

Am I the only person who thinks Farrell looks like he’s wearing makeup?

He's always kinda looked like he was trying out for The Cure.

 

[Wateredgarden]

Our 4 best forwards prospects were not in that game. Kapanen, Demidov, Hage and Roy would have dominated the ice.

 

[schwang26]

What a crappy way to lose. 2 minutes left and he makes a chincy call on the Habs! Unreal. They outplayed the leafs all weekend. Put Dobes and Miller in there and you’re winning both.

 

[Treb]

where are the 25 goalies we drafted these past couple of years?

Dobes getting ready for main camp and doesn't need those games as he'll be AHL starter.

For Croteau and Fowler, school started and they would have had to pay for their trip because NCAA.

Vecvanags would have had to pay too to keep NCAA eligibility.

Volohkhin season started in Russia.

Miller was there but got injured right before camp.

Vrbetic no one cares about.

 

[OneSharpMarble]

It's pretty wild to see how much our defense carried our offense. They were really running things from back there.

 

[NewDef]

Goal Against 0:43
Heineman Goal 3:18
Davidson Goal 4:17
Hutson Cheap Shot 12:30

I like the response in a few seconds after the cheap shot on Hutson. Thorp + Mailloux, uh uh, not gonna do that twice buddy.

 

[Strat]

What was the score?

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Here are my brief comments on today's game. I thought Montreal carried most of the play though that should not be too surprising as the Leafs' prospect pool is not very deep. As for my assessment of the players I will only address those players that I believe have a realistic chance of playing in the NHL.

Hutson: This kid is as advertised. He has elite puck skills and vision and is not nearly as vulnerable in the defensive zone as expected. Though undersized, if he can maintain this level of play against true NHL opposition as the pre-season progresses, Hutson is a lock to make the Canadiens coming out of camp. If he can survive the physical banging opposing teams will focus on delivering in an effort to disrupt this talented player's game, Hutson will be a star in the NHL.

Beck: This is a player who I thought was one of the best forwards on the ice. Beck offers powerful skating, high-end hand skills, above average play making ability, physicality and is a wizard in the face-off circle. Though Beck didn't show it often today, he also has an NHL level wrist shot which, unlike most players today, Beck can use to overpower goalies off the rush. Like Hutson, if he can continue to play well against NHL level competition, Beck will make it very hard for the Canadiens to send him to the AHL.

Mesar: For all the negative post and expressions of disappointment, I thought Mesar was one of the more dangerous forwards in today's game. He came close to scoring multiple times and showed excellent puck control in tight quarters and made numerous smart plays that created scoring chances. While he needs time to develop his game in Laval, its way too early to write off this young player.

Farrell: Another much maligned smallish player who surprised me with his quickness and offensive vision. Last year Farrell was unable to gain separation that would allow him to consistently use his creative offensive skills. While noting that he was playing against fellow 'rookies', Farrell was an offensive factor today who was noticeable on Montreal's top line. With the impending arrival of Demidov, Hage and Kapanen, it is unlikely that Farrell will be in Montreal's long term plans. But this player has enough skills that he should play in the NHL .

Kidney: One of two players that were of a surprise (favourably) to this writer. Kidney who started last year woefully weak and who steadily gained assurance, strength and presence through the year in Laval continued his progression and showed well in today's game. Kidney transported the puck well, demonstrated surprising quickness on the rush and made several strong plays that resulted in scoring chances. He will face the coming log jam at forward that Farrell will face but I can see if Kidney's progression continues, he may well make a real push to make the team in a couple of years.

Thorpe: The other player who was a pleasant surprise. This 6'5" 220 lb. forward showed very good speed and acceleration. The goal he scored confirmed that this kid has offensive skills. He was an intimidating presence on the forecheck and regularly out-muscled opposing defencemen along the boards. If Hughes is looking for a prototypical power forward who can skate, hit and chip in offensively, he doesn't have to look further than Thorpe. On occasion, Thorpe reminded me of a larger Travis Moen. This kid may turn out to be one of the better steals of the recent draft.

Florian Xhekaj: Florian had a mixed game, seemingly one step behind the play at times, making costly turnovers while playing a punishing game along the boards and demonstrating his offensive skills in setting up Thorpe for the best goal of the game. What this game clearly demonstrated is that Xhekaj does not have ( at least not yet) the skating ability to play center in the NHL. He lacks the necessary acceleration, quickness and agility to play the position. The younger Xhekaj is a powerful north/south skater. He has the size, straight forward speed and offensive skill to be a very effective power forward at the NHL level. This lack of quickness makes it unlikely that Xhekaj will make the team out of camp. I would let him work on his game in Laval to see if he can gain that quickness. If he does, he will become a valuable player for this team going forward.

Tuch: This large, hard skating player is probably NHL ready at this point. It is unlikely that Tuch will ever be a high scorer in the NHL. If Montreal didn't already have a number of underperforming (and unmovable) veteran forwards clogging up the roster (and the cap) I could see Tuch making the team after a short stint in Laval. If the inevitable does happen and there is a cleansing of the roster, Tuch will be one of the first call ups.

Heineman: I though Heineman showed well today. He was one of the better skaters on the ice,. He played hard , drove the net and made several good offensive plays. Like Tuch, Heineman will never be a high scorer in the NHL. And like Tuch, he faces the numbers game that is Montreal's evolving roster. Until there is some movement in the team's roster structure Heineman will remain a fringe/utility player.

Mailloux: This player remains an enigma. I have watched Mailloux closely for the past few years and at times he has wowed me and at other times he has frustrated me. I can say for the first time Mailloux looks like an NHL defenceman. His attributes: size, offensive vision, first pass and shot were on full display today and he's starting to show the necessary skating ability that will allow him to be a productive NHL defenceman. On a few occasions, however, I did see the defensive gaffs in positioning and execution that punctuated his first year in Laval. But they were much fewer and far between. But he was playing against fellow rookies. Similar to Hutson, whether Mailloux makes the team out of camp, will largely be determined as to how he plays against regular NHL players in the pre-season. It wouldn't surprise this writer if the Canadiens send Mailloux back to Laval until an injury or a trade occurs. I am convinced that whether this year or next, Mailloux possesses the skill to play and play well in the NHL.

Reinbacher: The good news is that I rarely noticed Reinbacher today. For a defenceman (like an offensive lineman in football) that's generally a good result. The bad news is that he was playing against fellow rookies. Reinbacher played a steady game, made few errors and generally made the right play. The question is whether that is good enough for a player taken 5 OA. It's far too early to reach any conclusions with respect to this young player. Reinbacher will almost certainly play in the NHL in the near future. The question is: at what level? I think we will have a better idea after this year to assess if Reinbacher was overdrafted at 5 OA. It certainly is trending that way.

Engstrom: Frankly I was expecting more from this highly touted Swedish defenceman. Engstrom was adequate. But for him to push out/replace one of Montreal's existing defenceman or jump ahead of the other young defencemen competing for a roster spot on the senior team, he will have to show more.

Just my thoughts

 

[Strat]

Axel F by crazy frog at every break

No, Axel F is by Harold Faltermeyer.

Good news is that Mitten got injured by Reinbacher.
Good karma after mocking fans yesterday

How did he mock fans?

 

[Walksss]

After watching this game a second time I have to say Mesar and Beck made quite a few more skill plays than I had originally noticed. Beck's play without the puck is already great and NHL ready but Mesar was quite effective as well.

Mesar is gonna have to get much stronger on the puck to make the NHL at any point but today showed he's clearly capable of creating offensive chances. I'm excited to see how his season goes this year.

Even still I'm not quite sure where he would fit into the lineup even if he reaches his upside, but I'm hoping for the best anyways.

Here are my brief comments on today's game. I thought Montreal carried most of the play though that should not be too surprising as the Leafs' prospect pool is not very deep. As for my assessment of the players I will only address those players that I believe have a realistic chance of playing in the NHL.

Hutson: This kid is as advertised. He has elite puck skills and vision and is not nearly as vulnerable in the defensive zone as expected. Though undersized, if he can maintain this level of play against true NHL opposition as the pre-season progresses, Hutson is a lock to make the Canadiens coming out of camp. If he can survive the physical banging opposing teams will focus on delivering in an effort to disrupt this talented player's game, Hutson will be a star in the NHL.

Beck: This is a player who I thought was one of the best forwards on the ice. Beck offers powerful skating, high-end hand skills, above average play making ability, physicality and is a wizard in the face-off circle. Though Beck didn't show it often today, he also has an NHL level wrist shot which, unlike most players today, Beck can use to overpower goalies off the rush. Like Hutson, if he can continue to play well against NHL level competition, Beck will make it very hard for the Canadiens to send him to the AHL.

Mesar: For all the negative post and expressions of disappointment, I thought Mesar was one of the more dangerous forwards in today's game. He came close to scoring multiple times and showed excellent puck control in tight quarters and made numerous smart plays that created scoring chances. While he needs time to develop his game in Laval, its way too early to write off this young player.

Farrell: Another much maligned smallish player who surprised me with his quickness and offensive vision. Last year Farrell was unable to gain separation that would allow him to consistently use his creative offensive skills. While noting that he was playing against fellow 'rookies', Farrell was an offensive factor today who was noticeable on Montreal's top line. With the impending arrival of Demidov, Hage and Kapanen, it is unlikely that Farrell will be in Montreal's long term plans. But this player has enough skills that he should play in the NHL .

Kidney: One of two players that were of a surprise (favourably) to this writer. Kidney who started last year woefully weak and who steadily gained assurance, strength and presence through the year in Laval continued his progression and showed well in today's game. Kidney transported the puck well, demonstrated surprising quickness on the rush and made several strong plays that resulted in scoring chances. He will face the coming log jam at forward that Farrell will face but I can see if Kidney's progression continues, he may well make a real push to make the team in a couple of years.

Thorpe: The other player who was a pleasant surprise. This 6'5" 220 lb. forward showed very good speed and acceleration. The goal he scored confirmed that this kid has offensive skills. He was an intimidating presence on the forecheck and regularly out-muscled opposing defencemen along the boards. If Hughes is looking for a prototypical forward who can skate, hit and chip in offensively, he doesn't have to look further than Thorpe. On occasion, Thorpe reminded me of a larger Travis Moen. This kid may turn out to be one of the better steals of the recent draft.

Florian Xhekaj: Florian had a mixed game, seemingly one step behind the play at times, making costly turnovers while playing a punishing game along the boards and demonstrating his offensive skills in setting up Thorpe for the best goal of the game. What this game clearly demonstrated is that Xhekaj does not have ( at least not yet) the skating ability to play center in the NHL. He lacks the necessary acceleration, quickness and agility to play the position. The younger Xhekaj is a powerful north/south skater. He has the size, straight forward speed and offensive skill to be a very effective power forward at the NHL level. This lack of quickness makes it unlikely that Xhekaj will make the team out of camp. I would let him work on his game in Laval to see if he can gain that quickness. If he does, he will become a valuable player for this team going forward.

Tuch: This large, hard skating player is probably NHL ready at this point. It is unlikely that Tuch will ever be a high scorer in the NHL. If Montreal didn't already have a number of underperforming (and unmovable) veteran forwards clogging up the roster (and the cap) I could see Tuch making the team after a short stint in Laval. If the inevitable does happen and there is a cleansing of the roster, Tuch will be one of the first call ups.

Heineman: I though Heineman showed well today. He was one of the better skaters on the ice,. He played hard , drove the net and made several good offensive plays. Like Tuch, Heineman will never be a high scorer in the NHL. And like Tuch, he faces the numbers game that is Montreal's evolving roster. Until there is some movement in the team's roster structurer Heineman will remain a fridge/utility player.

Mailloux: This player remains an enigma. I have watched Mailloux closely for the past few years and at times he has wowed me and at other times he has frustrated me. I can say for the first time Mailloux looks like an NHL defenceman. His attributes: size, offensive vision, first pass and shot were on full display today and he's starting to show the necessary skating ability that will allow him to be a productive NHL defenceman. On a few occasions, however, I did see the defensive gaffs in positioning and execution that punctuated his first year in Laval. But they were much fewer and far between. But he was playing against fellow rookies. Similar to Hutson, whether Mailloux makes the team out of camp, will largely be determined as to how he plays against regular NHL players in the pre-season. It wouldn't surprise this writer if the Canadiens send Mailloux back to Laval until an injury or a trade occurs. I am convinced that whether this year or next, Mailloux possesses the skill to play and play well in the NHL.

Reinbacher: The good news is that I rarely noticed Reinbacher today. For a defenceman (like an offensive lineman in football) that's generally a good result. The bad news is that he was playing against fellow rookies. Reinbacher played a steady game, made few errors and generally made the right play. The question is whether that is good enough for a player taken 5 OA. It's far too early to reach any conclusions with respect to this young player. Reinbacher will almost certainly play in the NHL in the near future. The question is: at what level? I think we will have a better idea after this year to assess if Reinbacher was overdrafted at 5 OA. It certainly is trending that way.

Engstrom: Frankly I was expecting more from this highly touted Swedish defenceman. Engstrom was adequate. But for him to push out/replace one of Montreal's existing defenceman or jump ahead of the other young defencemen competing for a roster spot on the senior team, he will have to show more.

Just my thoughts

I agree with all of this except Reinbacher and Engstrom who I thought were both quite effective playing in a very basic structure. They created plenty of offense off the back end while holding it down defensively, I thought it was a well executed game.

 

[loudi94]

Both goalies were ahl quality. both will never make the nhl. it will be up to the russian and fowler.
Mesar is trade bait and a few others.. Hughes needed to see these two games and get a full understanding of the prospect pool. pink slips need to be handed out to some prospects so to make room of others.

Mesar will take a bit, but I see some Sergei Samsonov in him. He has good skill. Not sure he will make our team, but he does have value.

 

[dinodebino]

A

Protz is a 4th round pick. He doesn't project as a guy who will dominate. His ceiling is probably Emelin. People must relax with our 4th and 5th round picks like THorpe, Xhekaj and Protz, Expecting 1st line and 1st pairing talent out of those is being unrealistic. If we can salvage on or two bottom 6 or 3rd pairing guys it will be great.

I think most of our young players looked good. We dominate both games but the goalies sucked big time. It's sad that Demidov, Hage, Roy, Kapanen were not there but overall our young dmen did great and some of the forwards there showed some potential as bottom six and middle six guys in 2-3 years. We already have Suzuki, Caufield, Slaf, Dach we don't need 10 other top 6 guys we need good depth too.

Ahem. Laine.

 

[HabsMD97]

It's pretty wild to see how much our defense carried our offense. They were really running things from back there.

it's great to see but also shows you why you can't win in the NHL with just a great defence. You need elite forwards. Take PIT vs NSH in 2017, NSH had one of the best top 4 Ds the past decade and PIT had basically no one on D that year since Letang was injured (they ran Dumoulin, Maatta, Schultz, Hainsey), but they had the 2 best forwards in the world.

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

Huge reach , doesn't give up the middle at all , poke check from hell , guy is hard to attack off the rush

That’s also due to great skating. He covers huge amounts of ice fast and doesn’t lose a step at all going backwards. He’ll be a nightmare in the future against the atlantics stars haha

 

[Redux91]

So
Some of the guys from our drafts that played in these games
2020 - 2 guys - Sean Farrel, Luke Tuch
2021 - 2 guys - Logan Mailloux , Riley Kidney
2022 - 5 guys - Mesar, Beck, Hutson, Engstrom, Davidson
2023 - 2 guys - Reinbacher, Xhekaj
2024 - 2 guys - Thorpe , Protz

Mailloux 1g, 1a
Hutson 2a
Reinbacher 2a
Thorpe 2g
Beck 1g

Noticeable absences : Juraj Slafkovsky , Joshua Roy, Jacob Fowler, Ivan Demidov, Micheal Hage, Oliver Kapanen

Liked what I saw from the D, like what I saw from Beck, Thorpe, Tuch
We can't look at those guys with 'I'm looking for top6 forward goggles'
We have to realize our top6 is pretty much set for the next 6-7 years
What we're looking for are great bottom6 players, and these guys are big big possibilities
Looks good so far
That 2022 Draft really was something else

 

[Maitz]

I loved Mailloux games, he really looked more complete and mature in his game. I think he might be the best of our dman seriously, really impressed

 

[Kennerback]

So
Some of the guys from our drafts that played in these games
2020 - 2 guys - Sean Farrel, Luke Tuch
2021 - 2 guys - Logan Mailloux , Riley Kidney
2022 - 5 guys - Mesar, Beck, Hutson, Engstrom, Davidson
2023 - 2 guys - Reinbacher, Xhekaj
2024 - 2 guys - Thorpe , Protz

Mailloux 1g, 1a
Hutson 2a
Reinbacher 2a
Thorpe 2g
Beck 1g

Noticeable absences : Juraj Slafkovsky , Joshua Roy, Jacob Fowler, Ivan Demidov, Micheal Hage, Oliver Kapanen

Liked what I saw from the D, like what I saw from Beck, Thorpe, Tuch
We can't look at those guys with 'I'm looking for top6 forward goggles'
We have to realize our top6 is pretty much set for the next 6-7 years
What we're looking for are great bottom6 players, and these guys are big big possibilities
Looks good so far
That 2022 Draft really was something else

Tuch might be a solid 4th line energy player. Beck is a bottom-6 faceoff specialist which is very important. I need more data before coming to conclusions about Thorpe.

 

[The Real Timo]

That's it! they lost 2 in a row. Time to blow it all up and start another rebuild. FIRE HUGHES AND GORTON!!!!

Bring back Michael Therrien!

 

[The Real Timo]

I loved Mailloux games, he really looked more complete and mature in his game. I think he might be the best of our dman seriously, really impressed

That's what I wanted to hear

 

[expy]

Was at the game today, Hutson and Mailloux were great.
Reinbacher had some flashes but more muted than anything.

I liked Xhekaj's game, as well as Engstrom.

 

[NewDef]

Here are my brief comments on today's game. I thought Montreal carried most of the play though that should not be too surprising as the Leafs' prospect pool is not very deep. As for my assessment of the players I will only address those players that I believe have a realistic chance of playing in the NHL.

Hutson: This kid is as advertised. He has elite puck skills and vision and is not nearly as vulnerable in the defensive zone as expected. Though undersized, if he can maintain this level of play against true NHL opposition as the pre-season progresses, Hutson is a lock to make the Canadiens coming out of camp. If he can survive the physical banging opposing teams will focus on delivering in an effort to disrupt this talented player's game, Hutson will be a star in the NHL.

Beck: This is a player who I thought was one of the best forwards on the ice. Beck offers powerful skating, high-end hand skills, above average play making ability, physicality and is a wizard in the face-off circle. Though Beck didn't show it often today, he also has an NHL level wrist shot which, unlike most players today, Beck can use to overpower goalies off the rush. Like Hutson, if he can continue to play well against NHL level competition, Beck will make it very hard for the Canadiens to send him to the AHL.

Mesar: For all the negative post and expressions of disappointment, I thought Mesar was one of the more dangerous forwards in today's game. He came close to scoring multiple times and showed excellent puck control in tight quarters and made numerous smart plays that created scoring chances. While he needs time to develop his game in Laval, its way too early to write off this young player.

Farrell: Another much maligned smallish player who surprised me with his quickness and offensive vision. Last year Farrell was unable to gain separation that would allow him to consistently use his creative offensive skills. While noting that he was playing against fellow 'rookies', Farrell was an offensive factor today who was noticeable on Montreal's top line. With the impending arrival of Demidov, Hage and Kapanen, it is unlikely that Farrell will be in Montreal's long term plans. But this player has enough skills that he should play in the NHL .

Kidney: One of two players that were of a surprise (favourably) to this writer. Kidney who started last year woefully weak and who steadily gained assurance, strength and presence through the year in Laval continued his progression and showed well in today's game. Kidney transported the puck well, demonstrated surprising quickness on the rush and made several strong plays that resulted in scoring chances. He will face the coming log jam at forward that Farrell will face but I can see if Kidney's progression continues, he may well make a real push to make the team in a couple of years.

Thorpe: The other player who was a pleasant surprise. This 6'5" 220 lb. forward showed very good speed and acceleration. The goal he scored confirmed that this kid has offensive skills. He was an intimidating presence on the forecheck and regularly out-muscled opposing defencemen along the boards. If Hughes is looking for a prototypical forward who can skate, hit and chip in offensively, he doesn't have to look further than Thorpe. On occasion, Thorpe reminded me of a larger Travis Moen. This kid may turn out to be one of the better steals of the recent draft.

Florian Xhekaj: Florian had a mixed game, seemingly one step behind the play at times, making costly turnovers while playing a punishing game along the boards and demonstrating his offensive skills in setting up Thorpe for the best goal of the game. What this game clearly demonstrated is that Xhekaj does not have ( at least not yet) the skating ability to play center in the NHL. He lacks the necessary acceleration, quickness and agility to play the position. The younger Xhekaj is a powerful north/south skater. He has the size, straight forward speed and offensive skill to be a very effective power forward at the NHL level. This lack of quickness makes it unlikely that Xhekaj will make the team out of camp. I would let him work on his game in Laval to see if he can gain that quickness. If he does, he will become a valuable player for this team going forward.

Tuch: This large, hard skating player is probably NHL ready at this point. It is unlikely that Tuch will ever be a high scorer in the NHL. If Montreal didn't already have a number of underperforming (and unmovable) veteran forwards clogging up the roster (and the cap) I could see Tuch making the team after a short stint in Laval. If the inevitable does happen and there is a cleansing of the roster, Tuch will be one of the first call ups.

Heineman: I though Heineman showed well today. He was one of the better skaters on the ice,. He played hard , drove the net and made several good offensive plays. Like Tuch, Heineman will never be a high scorer in the NHL. And like Tuch, he faces the numbers game that is Montreal's evolving roster. Until there is some movement in the team's roster structure Heineman will remain a fringe/utility player.

Mailloux: This player remains an enigma. I have watched Mailloux closely for the past few years and at times he has wowed me and at other times he has frustrated me. I can say for the first time Mailloux looks like an NHL defenceman. His attributes: size, offensive vision, first pass and shot were on full display today and he's starting to show the necessary skating ability that will allow him to be a productive NHL defenceman. On a few occasions, however, I did see the defensive gaffs in positioning and execution that punctuated his first year in Laval. But they were much fewer and far between. But he was playing against fellow rookies. Similar to Hutson, whether Mailloux makes the team out of camp, will largely be determined as to how he plays against regular NHL players in the pre-season. It wouldn't surprise this writer if the Canadiens send Mailloux back to Laval until an injury or a trade occurs. I am convinced that whether this year or next, Mailloux possesses the skill to play and play well in the NHL.

Reinbacher: The good news is that I rarely noticed Reinbacher today. For a defenceman (like an offensive lineman in football) that's generally a good result. The bad news is that he was playing against fellow rookies. Reinbacher played a steady game, made few errors and generally made the right play. The question is whether that is good enough for a player taken 5 OA. It's far too early to reach any conclusions with respect to this young player. Reinbacher will almost certainly play in the NHL in the near future. The question is: at what level? I think we will have a better idea after this year to assess if Reinbacher was overdrafted at 5 OA. It certainly is trending that way.

Engstrom: Frankly I was expecting more from this highly touted Swedish defenceman. Engstrom was adequate. But for him to push out/replace one of Montreal's existing defenceman or jump ahead of the other young defencemen competing for a roster spot on the senior team, he will have to show more.

Just my thoughts

I agree to everything, though Engstrom seems like he just need time to adjust to the play style and ice size. He's a fluid skater that doesn't shy taking ice with good compete and is defensively pretty solid. He could shoot more but his pass are clean. Were it not for the fists, he could outplay Arber hockey-wise.

 

[Rapala]

With the lack of firepower up front I don't expect a great PP.
However there is no excuse for that scared looking PK.

 

[Egresch]

With the lack of firepower up front I don't expect a great PP.
However there is no excuse for that scared looking PK.

Having effective special teams requires a lot of training and these guys obviously do not have PK practise in prospect camp. No need for that. Plus you need at least a decent goalie which we did not have.