Habs Prospect Report: Mailloux Always Shooting, Beck Close

The Montreal Canadiens are participating in their respective Canadian Hockey League Championships this season.

OHL Championship, Game One, London Knights vs. Peterborough Petes

Logan Mailloux and the Knights emerged with a 3-0 shutout win over fellow Canadiens prospect Owen Beck and the Petes in their first matchup of the series.

The scoreline was rather unflattering for the Petes, who put up a commendable effort despite the lack of goals.

As expected, it was an intense game, and though Peterborough engaged in their fair share of physical play, London’s forecheck was a little too much to handle in their own zone. Peterborough came incredibly close to scoring on the powerplay, hitting the post on two occasions.

Beck finished the game -2, but once again, the numbers don’t tell the entire story. The first goal that occurred while Beck was on the ice came after a bad line change by his teammate, which left Beck with no chance to disrupt the play, and the second goal was an empty-net effort by London.

More importantly, Beck had several great scoring chances and was a little unlucky not to find the back of the net.

One sequence, in particular, stood out. Not only did Beck (No.16) start the play, he ended up with two high-danger scoring chances. You’ll note Mailloux (No.24) is out of position in the play. He was fresh out of the penalty box, having served a two-minute minor for tripping, which explains why he was defending near the top of the zone and not in his regular defensive spot.

Mailloux was noticeable in the offensive zone thanks to his penchant for taking as many shots as humanly possible whenever he’s on the ice. On Friday he took six shots on the net, most of them quick wristers from the point.

And though point shots getting through traffic definitely involve a certain amount of luck, Mailloux does seem to be able to thread the needle more often than most, whether it’s a wrist shot, a quick flick, or a booming slap shot.

WHL Championship, Game One, Winnipeg Ice vs. Seattle Thunderbirds

Canadiens prospect Jared Davidson and the Thunderbirds rallied back from a 3-0 deficit to push the score 3-2 and had a chance to tie the game in the dying seconds of the third period, but Davidson put the puck an inch or two wide as the Ice held on for dear life.

He also hit the post with his patented one-timer, which is among the most polished and powerful one-timers in the league.

Before we get to the next games on the schedule, I’d like to invite anyone who is yet to catch a Junior hockey game to watch the Thunderbirds vs. Ice series.

With all due respect to the Quebec Remparts, in my opinion, the WHL final involves the best two teams going, and it’s a real shame that only one of them will participate in the Memorial Cu

They’re two of the most exciting, talented, and intense teams in the CHL, and Game One was a perfect example of the beautiful chaos that is Junior Hockey.

The NHL is great hockey, but the CHL is guaranteed to be fun hockey, and that’s something you won’t necessarily find in an NHL rink.

There’s rarely a moment that you would not qualify as incredibly entertaining in these games, not to mention, it gives you an opportunity to keep an eye on some of the players that may end up in a Canadiens uniform at the 2023 Draft.

Like Winnipeg forward Zach Benson, for example.

I don’t want to spoil the fun, but let’s just say if the Habs would end up with Benson at fifth overall at the Draft, fans should be happy because he’s one of the most talented players I’ve watched in the last few years. If it weren’t for the 2023 Draft being one of the most stacked Drafts in the last decade, he’d easily be a top 3 pick.

On The Docket

Game Two of the OHL final takes place on Saturday, in London. The Petes will look to even the series at one while the Knights will look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM ET.

Game Two of the WHL final also takes place on Saturday. The Ice will host the Thunderbirds, who will desperately try to tie the series at one. I’m telling you, this is must-watch hockey. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM ET.