Roy and Mailloux Play Big Role For Canadiens In Preseason Loss

The Montreal Canadiens hosted the New Jersey Devils on Monday night, the first matchup of their six-game preseason schedule.

Thanks to Jack Hughes, the Devils emerged with a well-deserved 4-2 win.

Before we get into the highlights, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that none of the defencemen in the lineup for the Canadiens were alive when the movie Gladiator was released.

It’s not essential to the analysis, but I aged 13 years the moment I realized they were all born after 2000, and now you have, too.

So, Jordan Harris is the elder statesman on the Habs blue line.

Old Man Harris, 23 years old.

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 25, 2023

Roy De La Montagne

Joshua Roy has a lot going for him as he attempts to earn a permanent job in the NHL.

Despite not having any professional experience other than a few shifts in the AHL two years ago, he’s one of the few forward prospects that have the right skill set to make a positive impact on the Canadiens lineup. This obviously speaks to a lack of elite talent among Canadiens prospects, particularly among forwards, but that’s a topic for another day.

Roy stood out as one of the best players during the team’s intrasquad scrimmages, and he maintained his momentum by scoring the Habs’ first preseason goal. The 20-year-old found open ice in a high-danger area and capitalized on a nice puck recovery by Xavier Simoneau.

He knows he’ll have to do more than just produce points if he’s to start the season with the Canadiens, as evidenced by his high effort level during the penalty kill.

The good news is that head coach Martin St-Louis seems to be well aware of the value Roy’s versatility brings to the table, which means he’ll be given ample opportunities to impress during preseason games.

Joshua Roy scores on the power play. Assists go to Simoneau and Ylonen.

1-0 Habs. pic.twitter.com/zvqxx2I5Is

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 25, 2023

Speaking of young players trying to crack the roster, Jesse Ylonen had a very solid outing. On top of assisting on the first goal of the game, the Canadiens controlled 65 percent of the shots when Ylonen, Roy and Owen Beck were on the ice, a rather strong performance when we consider the team only controlled 37 percent of the shots all game when the line was taking a break.

The Canadiens need to add more shooting talent to the lineup, and Ylonen clearly fits the bill. On the other side of the coin, his penalty in the third period, which led to the Devils’ fourth goal of the game, will not do him any favours when it comes to receiving more ice time.

This is the kind of stuff I want to see from Ylonen.

You have a chance to shoot? Take it. immediately.

Habs need more of this in the lineup. Even an everyday Ylonen shot gave Schmid problems. pic.twitter.com/MRZNr1DeqM

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 26, 2023

Welcome To The NHL

One thing is for certain, Montreal Canadiens prospect Logan Mailloux does not lack confidence.

The 20-year-old enjoys being in the heart of the action, but on Monday night he learned a very important lesson: NHL forwards have a little more horsepower than their OHL counterparts.

All things considered, Mailloux did not have a bad game. He was one of the few defencemen who finished the matchup with a healthy 50 CF%.

But he was also caught roughly 190 feet away from his net on the penalty kill, which led to a highlight-reel goal for Jack Hughes.

I actually don’t mind that he’s an aggressive player, but if you chase one of the best forwards in the league behind his net, you simply cannot allow him to quickly burn you before scoring a great goal. That’s the harsh reality of playing at the top level of hockey.

Mailloux ended up playing a lot of hockey during his first career preseason game, and we really shouldn’t dwell on the play that most people will reference when discussing Monday’s highlights.

Overall, it was a pretty good outing for No.94.

Jack Hughes dances around the Habs with crazy moves, finds Mercer for an easy goal. pic.twitter.com/HGPBx4KIf9

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 26, 2023

Reinbacher Watch

David Reinbacher was visibly nervous during his first taste of NHL action, par for the course when discussing an 18-year-old defenceman.

He looked a lot more comfortable as the game went on, and he even registered an assist on Josh Anderson’s goal, which cut the lead to 3-2. Reinbacher quickly corralled a nice Alex Newhook pass before sending the puck into Anderson’s general vicinity. It doesn’t matter if the puck took a few bounces before Anderson got to it, getting your name on the scoresheet is always a confidence boost.

Josh Anderson cuts the lead to 3-2. David Reinbacher assists on the play. pic.twitter.com/RcrXrZgNoL

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 26, 2023

Oh No, Montembeault

Samuel Montembeault will want this one back.

Though, if we’re being honest, every goalie in the history of hockey would want all their goals back.

Have you ever met a goalie?

They can remember every single detail about every puck that snuck by them and write a 3000-word thesis on why they should have done better.

It’s a terrible expression.

Brutal bounce for Montembeault. pic.twitter.com/0ssHAllcT2

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 26, 2023

Anderson Action

The Josh Anderson, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Alex Newhook line had a decent outing, with Anderson standing out as the biggest scoring threat. On top of scoring a goal, he was within half an inch of scoring two when he flirted with the crossbar in the second period.

Anderson tickles the iron pic.twitter.com/rb1yMNP0Tl

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 26, 2023

The line was far from dominant, but they spent a healthy amount of time in the offensive zone, which should help Slafkovsky when it comes to building confidence. Ideally, you’d like to see a little more from this line given they’ve been together since the start of camp.

Much like Ylonen, you also want to see Slafkovsky shoot as often as possible.

Unlike Ylonen, who had a few shots on net, Slafkovsky tends to shy away from pulling the trigger when the opportunity arises.

The Montreal Canadiens are back in action on Wednesday night. They will host the Ottawa Senators at the Bell Centre. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

All Montreal Canadiens 5v5 statistics are via Natural Hat Trick.