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

[Mudz]

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.

Yeah put Miller in and it's 2 easy wins. Miller thinks and feels and can push Fowler. And you have to respect his confidence. So far he can back it up.

 

[Rapala]

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.

Yeah?
NO. Practice is one thing being totally passive and closed in is another.
We can make all the excuses we want but Toronto didn't make any did they.
Goaltending wasn't great I'll admit but Lord help us if we take the same approach in Laval.

 

[Rapala]

Did anyone else watch this on RDS2 at 22:00
It was pathetic. They cut 10 minutes of the second period and around 8 of the third.
So viewers missed 3 of the 4 Habs goals.
I get it if there were time constraints but we didn't miss a second of analysis between periods.
Nice to know who the stars really are.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Yeah?
NO. Practice is one thing being totally passive and closed in is another.
We can make all the excuses we want but Toronto didn't make any did they.
Goaltending wasn't great I'll admit but Lord help us if we take the same approach in Laval.

The PK was fine.. the goals that went in were shots that are saved by any goalie at that level. We didn't have a goalie at that level and they let in routine shots.

At no point did the PK concede these big looks that result in goals.

It is what it is and hopefully management has a lesson learned for next year that your invitees on the goaltending side can't be total throwaways.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

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.

While we can all quibble about the play and potential of individual players, it was hard to come away from yesterday's game without a high degree of optimism about the state and future of this team.
Many (most) of the players that played in the game will largely be curiosities and footnotes in a few years. Such is the hard realities of professional sports. But the number of promising prospects is a testament to the job that Hughes and Gorton have done in their rebuilding efforts. It's the essence of good asset management and its comforting to know that we have a chess master at the helm who will be playing the game of team building with other managers, many of whom are checker players. Hughes will be able to bundle those players that are deemed expendable for other identified assets (players and draft choices) who will be added to the Canadiens' growing pool of contributing and marketable assets.

As is becoming obvious to most, the emerging Canadiens are not your father's Canadiens. Hughes and company are building a fast, skilled and large team that will shortly be a viable contender. After watching yesterday's game one can only say, as that the old song chimed: The best is yet to come.

 

[Rapala]

The PK was fine.. the goals that went in were shots that are saved by any goalie at that level. We didn't have a goalie at that level and they let in routine shots.

At no point did the PK concede these big looks that result in goals.

It is what it is and hopefully management has a lesson learned for next year that your invitees on the goaltending side can't be total throwaways.

We will see. I hate giving up uncontested ice plain and simple.
I much prefer the Edmonton Oiler's style of PK we saw in the post season particularly the way they hounded the points.

 

[schwang26]

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

No one blocked shots. Leafs did on their pk. Plus, goaltending in the first game was terrible.

 

[WeThreeKings]

No one blocked shots. Leafs did on their pk. Plus, goaltending in the first game was terrible.

It was terrible in game 2, as well.

I counted 2 goals by the Leafs that would reasonably be expected to be goals. Everything else are shots that any goaltender should have.

 

[Non Player Canadiens]

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

"brief" comments thanks for the thorough and well-written write-up, as always!

 

[ahmedou]

Highlights of Habs vs Leafs prospects (Sept 15): Captain Mailloux defending Hutson and Xhekaj Bro's fighting

 

[schwang26]

It was terrible in game 2, as well.

I counted 2 goals by the Leafs that would reasonably be expected to be goals. Everything else are shots that any goaltender should have.

The first I thought was poor coverage. 2 guys and no one took the Leaf. Another bounced off the backboards and came directly straight back. I only remember the one where he gave a juicy rebound. I don’t remember the winner. It was much better in the second game. I felt they should’ve won.

 

[WeThreeKings]

The first I thought was poor coverage. 2 guys and no one took the Leaf. Another bounced off the backboards and came directly straight back. I only remember the one where he gave a juicy rebound. I don’t remember the winner. It was much better in the second game. I felt they should’ve won.

The winner was a generic wrist shot at his chest that he let drop between his legs and float into the net.

 

[Trabdy2]

I was generally more impressed with our defencemen than our forwards this weekend. Hutson, Mailloux, Reinbacher, and Engstrom showed to me that we have a lot to be excited about in our organization. These defencemen helped us transition the puck well and activated effectively off the blue line to routinely extend O zone possession times.

Although not completely let down, I was less impressed by our forwards group in terms of creating high danger scoring opportunities, especially during extended possession sequences. Maybe part of it was finding chemistry and operating in a new system. With that said, Beck, Mesar and Farrell stood out to me the most when it came to their vision and ability to make plays in the O zone. Players like Tuch and Heineman showed some promise for their "B" games, and should have a good chance of finding a bottom 6 role at some point.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I was generally more impressed with our defencemen than our forwards this weekend. Hutson, Mailloux, Reinbacher, and Engstrom showed to me that we have a lot to be excited about in our organization. These defencemen helped us transition the puck well and activated effectively off the blue line to routinely extend O zone possession times.

Although not completely let down, I was less impressed by our forwards group in terms of creating high danger scoring opportunities, especially during extended possession sequences. Maybe part of it was finding chemistry and operating in a new system. With that said, Beck, Mesar and Farrell stood out to me the most when it came to their vision and ability to make plays in the O zone. Players like Tuch and Heineman showed some promise for their "B" games, and should have a good chance of finding a bottom 6 role at some point.

Things would look a lot different if Hage, Demidov, Eriksson and Kapanen were there.

The forward group was effective with largely our players who are developing to be middle 6ers or bottom 6ers.

 

[LaP]

Things would look a lot different if Hage, Demidov, Eriksson and Kapanen were there.

The forward group was effective with largely our players who are developing to be middle 6ers or bottom 6ers.

And Roy. Like i said earlier Roy is a year and a half younger than Hirvanen and the same age as Grebekin and he has less pro experience than those guys. Hirvanen has 4 Liiga seasons of experience as well as a year in the AHL. Grebekin as 2 KHL seasons of experience. They also had Topi Niemela in their lineup the guy is 22 and has 4 Liiga seasons fo experience as well as a season in the AHL.

 

[NMacrules]

As good as Cowan was, Hutson was the best player on the ice.

 

[Trabdy2]

Things would look a lot different if Hage, Demidov, Eriksson and Kapanen were there.

The forward group was effective with largely our players who are developing to be middle 6ers or bottom 6ers.

Very true. Also, the scoreline might have been quite different if Fowler were there.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Very true. Also, the scoreline might have been quite different if Fowler were there.

Even Miller..

The goals our goalies gave up were pathetic. Not sure what they were thinking with the Richard invite.. obviously options are limited when Miller got hurt, but we still should have had something better than a UNB goalie out there.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

As good as Cowan was, Hutson was the best player on the ice.

I thought Beck was the equal of Cowan, if not better.

 

[Mudz]

Thorpe Goal 2:27
Davidson Pass to Mesar Chance 7:24
Hutson Chance 8:15
Mailloux Goal 10:54
Tuch Boarding/Fight 11:59

Do you have Shanahan yawning? It's toward the end of the 3rd if I remember correctly.

 

[badfish]

Do you have Shanahan yawning? It's toward the end of the 3rd if I remember correctly.

Huge meme potential

 

[Rapala]

I thought Beck was the equal of Cowan, if not better.

Beck was good Marty was smiling.
The first prospect name out of his mouth in his interview wasn't Lane Hutson it was Owen Beck.
Maybe Hutson is a given?

 

[Mudz]

Huge meme potential

Yeah I think it's right after Cowan got slightly push into the board.

 

[morhilane]

Beck was good Marty was smiling.
The first prospect name out of his mouth in his interview wasn't Lane Hutson it was Owen Beck.
Maybe Hutson is a given?

MSL looks at the play away from the puck more than anything and Beck has a very mature game away from the puck.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Beck was good Marty was smiling.
The first prospect name out of his mouth in his interview wasn't Lane Hutson it was Owen Beck.
Maybe Hutson is a given?

Maybe. But anyone watching the two games against the Leafs' rookies could see that Beck readily displayed the skill, speed and on ice presence of a future (current) NHLer. As I said, if Beck continues this level of play against true NHL players in the upcoming pre-season games, I can't see the Canadiens sending him down to Laval.

There may be a logjam on defence right now, but with Beck, Demidov, Hage, Kapanen, Florian, Thorpe, Tuch, Sawyer and Koivu, the current top six forwards and 3 first and 4 second round picks over the next two years that logjam may well be replicated at the forward position. And wouldn't that be a nice problem to have.

And yes, Hutson is seemingly a lock on defence. The kid is a revelation. And if he gets a bit stronger and a bit faster, Hutson will be an offensive star in the NHL for the next decade or longer. There will be a lot of teams kicking themselves for letting Hutson drop to the bottom of the second round in his draft year.