Laval Rocket: GDT: Rocket at Belleville 7 PM 8 Nov

[overlords]

damnnit subin

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Highmore misses. Round 4.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Mailloux!!

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Mailllllloux

 

[MarkovsKnee]

HUGHES!

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Laval didn't deserve that win

 

[Tyson]

Good teams find a way to win

 

[schwang26]

Ya baby!!!

 

[Whitesnake]

Good win! Mailloux and ABB...awesome shoouts.

 

[Tyson]

Laval didn't deserve that win

I don't agree. They fought and found a way to win

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Laval wins in shoot-out. Totally undeserved. They were mostly terrible, but that's what happens when you have skill, which they do this year.

 

[overlords]

HUGHES!

 

[schwang26]

So I guess everyone gets called up now?

 

[Rapala]

Even with an early record of 8 win, 1 loss, games like this are expected during the long season.

Not against Belleville thank you very much.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

I don't agree. They fought and found a way to win

And once they were in the shootout it should have been no contest. Hughes >> Subban.

 

[Rapala]

Beck with the money play to Truch.
That's how you play 6v5 Marty.
Not the giving up of empty netters we've become accustomed to these past two seasons...

Couldn't help myself

 

[CrAzYNiNe]

I don’t know who picks the 3 stars on the theahl.com website, were the 3 picked more impactful on the game? Assist on the game tying goal, scores in the shootout, on top of already having 1G and 1A.

Beck with the money play to Truch.
That's how you play 6v5 Marty.
Not the giving up of empty netters we've become accustomed to these past two seasons...

Couldn't help myself

I can’t for the life of me remember any of the other empty net goals, but I do remember the last game against the devils. That was just a bad play that Matheson really had trouble with. Other than blaming him for player choices to be in the ice, that one was on the players.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

I don’t know who picks the 3 stars on the theahl.com website, were the 3 picked more impactful on the game? Assist on the game tying goal, scores in the shootout, on top of already having 1G and 1A.



I can’t for the life of me remember any of the other empty net goals, but I do remember the last game against the devils. That was just a bad play that Matheson really had trouble with. Other than blaming him for player choices to be in the ice, that one was on the players.

Yeah, no idea how Roy got 3rd star. It should have been ABB or Beck.

 

[Skip Bayless]

He's Connor. He's Yuge. He's Connor Yuge.

no diddy

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

ur telling me i turned the game off and they won right after

yeahhhhhhhhhh im cursed

 

[Rapala]

Yeah, no idea how Roy got 3rd star. It should have been ABB or Beck.

Beck was probably our best skater all night long.
The Belleville crew were sure pumping his tires throughout the broadcast.
Good Port Hope Lad I didn't know he played his hockey there growing up.
The Coboug Cougars aren't that far away I guess.

Yeah, no idea how Roy got 3rd star. It should have been ABB or Beck.

Roy was directly responsible for the first goal of the game with soft board play.

 

[Rapala]

I don’t know who picks the 3 stars on the theahl.com website, were the 3 picked more impactful on the game? Assist on the game tying goal, scores in the shootout, on top of already having 1G and 1A.



I can’t for the life of me remember any of the other empty net goals, but I do remember the last game against the devils. That was just a bad play that Matheson really had trouble with. Other than blaming him for player choices to be in the ice, that one was on the players.

Blake Lizotte from Lars Eller vs the Penguins the Saturday night prior to that game.
Twice in three games...

 

[montreal]

Xhekaj Big Hit/Fight 1:00
Roy/Mailloux Assist 1:50
Roy Nice Pass 2:24
Roy Assist 4:35
Tuch Goal From Beck 7:49
Mailloux SO Winner 11:00

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Good teams find a way to win

It was an interesting game as Belleville is a stronger opponent than what Laval has mostly faced this season. A game like this also more readily exposes and separates the pretenders from the contenders among our prospects .

Again, I will only comment on those Laval players who can be considered true prospects.

Beck continues to show the skill and speed that makes him one of the Canadiens best prospects. I think Beck was easily Laval's best forward tonight. He skated miles, made the crucial play to Tuch that tied the game with the goalie out, made an amazing cross ice backhanded pass that created a scoring chance, displayed his NHL level shot on several occasions, centered Laval's first power play unit, was on the second penalty killing unit and played a prominent role in the overtime period. He was even better on face-offs this game. It was interesting that Belleville announcers described Beck as 'having a boatload of talent." I thought that Beck's skating was best displayed when both killing penalties where he was able to cut off the ice and be a disruptive force and in the overtime where the extra ice allowed him to freewheel on offence and use his superior speed to catch Belleville players on the backcheck. I'm still concerned by this player's lack of stamina. It was really an issue in the overtime where the drop-off in Beck's performance towards the end of his shift was noticeable. Overall, Beck had a strong game where he was able to show off his "boatload of talent."

Roy had his ups and downs. He was able to display his great hands and vision and make a number of good passes including setting up Gignac for Laval's second goal. Roy also showed a degree of physicality and some closing speed on the forecheck. But he was also invisible for long stretches during the game and made a number of costly turnovers including one that led to Belleville's second goal. The high end skill is undoubtedly there, but it remains to be seen if Roy has enough pace to be effective at the next level.

While Tuch continued to show his NHL level speed, made a few rushes and scored the goal that put the game into overtime, overall, it was largely a quiet game for Tuch. He just wasn't as noticeable as he was in previous games. Maybe the superior team he was playing against was a factor. Still, nothing I saw changed my opinion that Tuch will soon be a contributing player on the Canadiens.

Both Kidney and Farrell had non- descript games. Kidney continued to show that he has the skating to play at the AHL level and while he had a few scoring chances, he was a step behind most Belleville players and was easily muscled off the puck in board battles. Kidney has potential, but this frail looking player needs to get stronger ( much stronger) before he can be considered as a legitimate NHL prospect. I still think the potential is there. But with the wave of high end prospect on the horizon (Demidov, Hage, etc. and those multiple high end draft choices that Hughes has collected, I would suggest that if Kidney does eventually make it to the NHL, it will be on another team. Farrell had a few good rushes where he showed off his above average skating, but for an undersized player, he didn't show enough offensive finish. Like Kidney, I don't see this player in the Canadiens' long term, future plans. There are, and will be, too many better options.

Like many of our prospects, Florian Xhekaj, had a mixed game. He was weak on faceoffs and was part of a penalty killing unit that constantly gave up the high bumper shot that resulted in numerous grade A scoring chances against Laval. But for Hughes' goaltending on the penalty kill, this game wouldn't have been close. He, and his line didn't generate much offense and, except on a very few occasions, didn't show off his superior straight-line speed. He did throw a few heavy hits, including one that was borderline dirty, if not dangerous, which led to a fight, where he manhandled his Belleville dance partner. Xhekaj, like most young AHL players, has to get quicker. If he does, this kid will be a player for Montreal in the future.

While Mailloux may remain an enigma to some, there is no question to me that this kid shouldn't be playing defence. He just doesn't have the skating ability or the required defensive acumen. While some of his reads were better tonight, he over-committed on several occasions and just didn't have the skating ability to recover. He has some high, high end skills: he sees the ice well in the offensive zone, he has excellent hand skills, he has a superior snap shot and he is the best passing defenceman in the Montreal system. His stretch pass is among the best I've seen. It's Subban or Malakhov level or even better. But he just can't skate well enough. He has no ability to beat / avoid the first forechecker, he can't transport the puck from his defensive zone through neutral and gain entry into the offensive zone. In fact, I haven't seen him do that once this year. He takes three or five strides, and when caught, is forced to turn around and drop the puck to a trailing forward. He was horrible in the overtime period where his skating limitations were clearly exposed. If this kid is going to have an impact in the NHL it will be as a forward. I can see Mailloux being a Mantha style forward where his size, skills, offensive vision, passing and shot can make him a valuable asset. One only had to see his shoot out goal to understand this kid's immense offensive potential. But it is becoming increasingly clear, at least to this writer, that Mailloux's NHL potential is not on defence.

After a good, promising start to the season, Trudeau had another very disappointing game. While he had a few good offensive rushes, Trudeau was a liability on defence. He was beaten wide and Belleville players were able to go right through him on a number of occasions. It was a very weak overall performance. The same comments can be made about Engstrom. After often being the best player on the ice at the start of the season, Engstrom's play seems to have plateaued at a level markedly lower than the initial promise he showed. His place on Laval's first power play unit has been taken over by Mailloux and his play in his own zone has been, at best, uneven recently. Engstrom is starting to make high risks plays and decisions that have resulted in needless turnovers. While it's still very early in his AHL career, there are times when I ask is that Engstrom or Norlinder out there? But there's no taking away the fact that Engstrom has a high skill level. Now he has to go back to showing it on a consistent basis.

 

[EXPOS123]

It was an interesting game as Belleville is a stronger opponent than what Laval has mostly faced this season. A game like this also more readily exposes and separates the pretenders from the contenders among our prospects .

Again, I will only comment on those Laval players who can be considered true prospects.

Beck continues to show the skill and speed that makes him one of the Canadiens best prospects. I think Beck was easily Laval's best forward tonight. He skated miles, made the crucial play to Tuch that tied the game with the goalie out, made an amazing cross ice backhanded pass that created a scoring chance, displayed his NHL level shot on several occasions, centered Laval's first power play unit, was on the second penalty killing unit and played a prominent role in the overtime period. He was even better on face-offs this game. It was interesting that Belleville announcers described Beck as 'having a boatload of talent." I thought that Beck's skating was best displayed when both killing penalties where he was able to cut off the ice and be a disruptive force and in the overtime where the extra ice allowed him to freewheel on offence and use his superior speed to catch Belleville players on the backcheck. I'm still concerned by this player's lack of stamina. It was really an issue in the overtime where the drop-off in Beck's performance towards the end of his shift was noticeable. Overall, Beck had a strong game where he was able to show off his "boatload of talent."

Roy had his ups and downs. He was able to display his great hands and vision and make a number of good passes including setting up Gignac for Laval's second goal. Roy also showed a degree of physicality and some closing speed on the forecheck. But he was also invisible for long stretches during the game and made a number of costly turnovers including one that led to Belleville's second goal. The high end skill is undoubtedly there, but it remains to be seen if Roy has enough pace to be effective at the next level.

While Tuch continued to show his NHL level speed, made a few rushes and scored the goal that put the game into overtime, overall, it was largely a quiet game for Tuch. He just wasn't as noticeable as he was in previous games. Maybe the superior team he was playing against was a factor. Still, nothing I saw changed my opinion that Tuch will soon be a contributing player on the Canadiens.

Both Kidney and Farrell had non- descript games. Kidney continued to show that he has the skating to play at the AHL level and while he had a few scoring chances, he was a step behind most Belleville players and was easily muscled off the puck in board battles. Kidney has potential, but this frail looking player needs to get stronger ( much stronger) before he can be considered as a legitimate NHL prospect. I still think the potential is there. But with the wave of high end prospect on the horizon (Demidov, Hage, etc. and those multiple high end draft choices that Hughes has collected, I would suggest that if Kidney does eventually make it to the NHL, it will be on another team. Farrell had a few good rushes where he showed off his above average skating, but for an undersized player, he didn't show enough offensive finish. Like Kidney, I don't see this player in the Canadiens' long term, future plans. There are, and will be, too many better options.

Like many of our prospects, Florian Xhekaj, had a mixed game. He was weak on faceoffs and was part of a penalty killing unit that constantly gave up the high bumper shot that resulted in numerous grade A scoring chances against Laval. But for Hughes' goaltending on the power play, this game wouldn't have been close. He, and his line didn't generate much offense and, except on a very few occasions, didn't show off his superior straight-line speed. He did throw a few heavy hits, including one that was borderline dirty, if not dangerous, which led to a fight, where he manhandled his Belleville dance partner. Xhekaj, like most young AHL players, has to get quicker. If he does, this kid will be a player for Montreal in the future.

While Mailloux may remain an enigma to some, there is no question to me that this kid shouldn't be playing defence. He just doesn't have the skating ability or the required defensive acumen. While some of his reads were better tonight, he over-committed on several occasions and just didn't have the skating ability to recover. He has some high, high end skills: he sees the ice well in the offensive zone, he has excellent hand skills, he has a superior snap shot and he is the best passing defenceman in the Montreal system. His stretch pass is among the best I've seen. It's Subban or Malakhov level or even better. But he just can't skate well enough. He has no ability to beat / avoid the first forechecker, he can't transport the puck from his defensive zone through neutral ice and gain entry into the offensive zone. In fact, I haven't seen him do that once this year. He takes three or five strides, and when caught, is forced to turn around and drop the puck to a trailing forward. He was horrible in the overtime period where his skating limitations were clearly exposed. If this kid is going to have an impact in the NHL it will be as a forward. I can see Mailloux being a Mantha style forward where his size, skills, offensive vision, passing and shot can make him a valuable asset. One only had to see his shoot out goal to understand this kid's immense offensive potential. But it is becoming increasingly clear, at least to this writer, that Mailloux's NHL potential is not on defence.

After a good, promising start to the season, Trudeau had another very disappointing game. While he had a few good offensive rushes, Trudeau was a liability on defence. He was beaten wide and Belleville players were able to go right through him on a number of occasions. It was a very weak overall performance. The same comments can be made about Engstrom. After often being the best player on the ice at the start of the season, Engstrom's play seems to have plateaued at a level markedly lower than the initial promise he showed. His place on Laval's first power play unit has been taken over by Mailloux and his play in his own zone has been, at best, uneven recently. Engstrom is starting to make high risks plays and decisions that have resulted in needless turnovers. While it's still very early in his AHL career, there are times when I ask is that Engstrom or Norlinder out there? But there's no taking away the fact that Engstrom has a high skill level. Now he has to go back to showing it on a constant basis.

I enjoy reading your reports, particularly because you seem to be one of the few around here to tell it like it is regarding our prospects and not through rose colored glasses.

Sadly, your reports seems to validate what i've been saying for while - that our AHL prospect pool is not as good as many are led to believe. The reason being that the team can be classified in 2 segments - the Bozovin/TImbits era draftees and the Hughes picks

It is becoming more and more evident that the picks once b.s hyped by the Bozovin cheerleaders - Mailloux, Kidney, Farrell, Roy, Trudeau - will all probably amount to nothing (the only hope i have is maybe Tuch)

Only real hopes are the Hughes draftees of Beck , Mesar, Florian and Eggstrom. And even these will have limited ceilings.