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Canadiens Wrap

Canadiens Wrap: Beck’s Excellence, Top Forwards, Reinbacher

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Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck

MONTREAL — Habs fans are well aware there’s always something to discuss when it comes to the Montreal Canadiens, but it’s not always possible to stay up to date with every breaking story. On Sundays, we recap the most exciting and relevant NHL news stories that you may have missed throughout the week so that you can stay in the Canadiens loop.

 

Monday

 

  • Assistant coach Trevor Letowski will take over coaching duties while St-Louis is away. As expected, the team has rallied around their head coach to offer him support during these trying times.

 

  • Cole Caufield may not be scoring as many goals as he usually does for the Montreal Canadiens, but there’s no need to worry about his long-term value. Caufield is taking a lot of shots from high-danger scoring areas. While we wait for his scoring to normalize, we can also appreciate the other important aspects Caufield has added to his game since joining the NHL. [Reasons Why Canadiens Fans Shouldn’t Worry About Caufield]

 

 

  • The Habs controlled the shots and scoring chances against the Flames, but they were let down by the play of their top pairing. Kaiden Guhle and Mike Matheson have struggled in recent weeks, giving credence to the idea that the pairing should be dismantled. [Canadiens Top Pairing Struggles In Frustrating Loss to Flames]

 

Tuesday

  • The Montreal Canadiens officially announced top prospect David Reinbacher will be loaned to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket. Laval doesn’t play until Friday, giving him some time to study his new playbook. We also looked into the potential pairings for Reinbacher once he makes his North American professional hockey debut. [Canadiens Loan Prospect Reinbacher To Laval, Potential Pairings]

 

  • Many have criticized the play of Brendan Gallagher this season. And while it’s true he’s no longer providing the impact he once did, the narrative has reached the point where we need to re-adjust our perception to match reality. No, Gallagher no longer dominates his shifts, but if we set emotions aside and take an unbiased look at his results, he’s far from the team’s biggest problem. [The Most Polarizing Montreal Canadiens Forward In 2023-24]

 

  • With a goal and an assist to his credit, prospect Luke Tuch is the Hockey East Player of the Week.

 

  • The players also had a little fun at practice. Someone printed Arber Xhekaj’s first name on his helmet, while Michael Pezzetta was seen practicing with No.68 on his helmet.

Wednesday

  • Not only has Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck looked great since joining the Saginaw Spirit, but he’s also put together the type of numbers that you’d expect from a player who is almost ready to make the jump to professional hockey. [Canadiens Prospect Report: Forward Owen Beck’s NHL Outlook]

 

  • There’s no such thing as ‘deserve’ in sports, which is why we won’t say the Canadiens deserved a better fate against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. But Montreal can be proud of their effort. Their head coach will be proud, as well. [Canadiens Silver Lining Re-Emerges In Hard-Fought Loss]

 

  • Top prospect David Reinbacher met with the media on Tuesday morning. For now, the 19-year-old is simply excited to get out on the ice and start playing some meaningful hockey.

 

  • Both Kirby Dach and Christian Dvorak skated on Tuesday. Neither is expected to be healthy in time to play a game this season, but their mere presence was enough to lift spirits.

 

 

Thursday

  • Forward Joshua Roy may have the least professional experience in the Montreal Canadiens lineup, but he’s already become one of their most important forwards. His production is excellent, and his underlying numbers suggest the best is yet to come. Roy, along with the three players on the top line, is leading the charge for the Habs. [Montreal Canadiens Top Forwards Since All-Star Break]

 

  • Unfortunately, since we’re talking about a Canadiens player performing well, we also have to allow for the inevitable injury to said player. Roy will be held out of action indefinitely after he blocked a shot with his hand in the hard-fought loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

 

  • The PWHL is in the midst of its inaugural season, and things couldn’t be going better. To the point that the game scheduled at the Bell Centre sold out in less than 60 minutes. If you haven’t had a chance to watch a PWHL game, I strongly suggest you carve out a little time to check it out. All their games are streamed for free on YouTube, and Montreal has one of the best teams in the league.

 

  • Juraj Slafkovsky was again spotted practicing with his all-white Proto-R (Bauer). He’s yet to use it in a game, but we’re seeing him use the stick with more frequency of late.

 

  • Former Hab Jake Allen is having a lot of fun with his new team, the New Jersey Devils.

Friday

  • Top Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson improved his scoring pace this season, an impressive feat given how well he played during his freshman season. But the most important change in Hutson’s game has come in the form of improving his defensive awareness. This bodes well for his arrival in the NHL. [Canadiens Prospect Lane Hutson Improving All-Situations Play]

 

  • The Habs couldn’t match Vancouver’s talent or work rate on Thursday night, which led to a well-deserved 4-1 win for the Canucks. There was a silver lining, as Juraj Salfkovsky extended his scoring streak to six games by scoring his team’s lone goal. [Canadiens Slafkovsky Extends Scoring Streak In Loss To Canucks]

 

  • The Canadiens provided an update on Joshua Roy’s injury. The 20-year-old forward is expected to miss four to six weeks, which means he’s unlikely to play another game in the NHL this season. It’s unfortunate for a myriad of reasons, including that Roy has quickly become one of the team’s best forwards during his short time with the Canadiens. [Montreal Canadiens Top Forwards Since All-Star Break]

 

  • Habs prospect Blake Biondi is among the players who entered the NCAA transfer portal. This means he has officially declared he no longer wants to play for the University of Minnesota-Duluth and is interested in joining another team. Biondi was selected in the fifth round of the 2020 Entry Draft and has eight goals and 11 assists in 34 NCAA games this season.

 

Saturday

  • Due to his excellent season in the NCAA, Pierre McGuire suggested it may be wise to send Jacob Fowler to the Laval Rocket next season. But there’s very little reward involved in a decision to rush a goaltender, and the risk is sky-high. For now, the best place for Fowler is with the Boston College Eagles. [Canadiens Must Remain Patient With Important NCAA Prospect]

 

  • Top Montreal Canadiens prospect David Reinbacher made his North American professional hockey debut on Friday when the Laval Rocket faced their rivals, the Belleville Senators. Reinbacher had a very solid game, and he even managed to score the game-tying goal midway through the third period. To make things even more interesting, the goal itself was quite nice. [Canadiens Prospect David Reinbacher Scores First Goal First Shot]

 

  • Speaking of top prospects, Lane Hutson had another great night in the NCAA. The defender scored the game-winning goal for Boston University as they defeated Maine 4-1 in the Hockey East Semi-Final. We all know Hutson can provide great hockey in the offensive zone, but his defensive play has also improved by leaps and bounds since he arrived at Boston University. [Canadiens Prospect Lane Hutson Improving All-Situations Play]

  • Fellow NCAA standout Jacob Fowler also had a great Hockey East semifinal game. The Boston College Eagles cruised to an 8-1 win over UMass. Fowler made 27 saves in the win. This means Hutson and Fowler faced each other on Saturday for the Hockey East Championship.

 

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