Canadiens Instant Recap: Reinbacher, Mailloux, And Beck Excel

The New Jersey Devils were in town on Tuesday, facing the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre. Montreal was looking for a second win in a row, working off the momentum they built when they dominated the Philadelphia Flyers the previous night.

The game marked the return of two former Canadiens players, goaltender Jake Allen and defenceman Johnathan Kovacevic. They won’t go down in history as the most cherished players in team history, but it must be said they epitomized the concept of being a good teammate. Allen was incredibly patient as the Canadiens played an extended session of goaltender musical chairs, while Kovacevic was all smiles despite having to spend a significant amount of time in the press box.

We also had a chance to watch Cole Caufield play with the number he picked to honour Johnny Gaudreau (No.13). It was a great gesture from Caufield, and I have to say it also evoked memories of Mike Cammalleri, one of the most underrated goalscorers to play for the Habs in the last few decades.

No. 13. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/z8Ygknp8cK

— NHL (@NHL) September 24, 2024

The Canadiens emerged with a 3-0, which means they’re yet to allow a goal in two preseason games that featured four different goaltenders. There’s a lot to talk about, so let’s dive into the highlights!

Sleepy Start

The first period was quieter than the lower deck in Toronto on any given night, but it did give us an opportunity to take a closer look at three players who are attempting to start the season with the Habs.

Owen Beck is one of the few prospect forwards with a legitimate chance to earn an NHL job, along with Oliver Kapanen. To do so, he’ll have to take advantage of limited opportunities by making his way to high-danger scoring areas, which is exactly what he’s been doing since the Habs opened their rookie camp.

Owen Beck chatting with Cole Caufield on the bench after another good scoring chance, love to see it.

Beck is getting to the right spots. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/bz9HOt9Gs4

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 25, 2024

In the long run, Beck is going to be a Swiss Army knife for this organization. Versatility is the name of the game, as evidenced by his strong play during the penalty kill, as well as his penchant for creating chances in the offensive zone. 

I did save this Owen Beck chance right off the bat, but didn’t send it out because I figured there would be a lot more highlights. Oops.

Anyhow, Beck has been doing a good job exploiting open ice, making his way to high-danger scoring areas since camp started. pic.twitter.com/BSwVgFCtkt

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 24, 2024

Logan’s Run

Two young defencemen were in the spotlight on Tuesday, as Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher featured in the top four. It was Mailloux’s second game in as many nights, which may explain why he had a rough start. On that note, he settled down very well after he worked out the jitters, particularly when it came to his offensive impact. His shot selection is excellent, and his timing when activating from the blue line is also quite good.

His defensive play still leaves a lot to be desired, but that’s perfectly normal for a young defenceman with very little professional hockey experience.

The solution? Experience. He needs as many shifts as possible, and the Rocket may end up being the best destination to fulfill the ice-time prescription for now. He still tries to do too much on every shift, again, a normal characteristic for a highly-touted prospect, but if he pulls back a little and plays within his abilities he should be in the NHL sooner than later.

I’d say Mailloux had a couple rough shifts, but he settled down nicely after the tough start.

And he leads all d-men in xGF% through two periods. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/PWOWHavOBt

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 25, 2024

Reinbacher’s Process

David Reinbacher was given his first taste of NHL preseason action, and though he didn’t necessarily stand out on every shift, he had a solid outing. The Canadiens don’t need Reinbacher to be a dominant presence, at least not yet. For now, he has to work on his timing, and that includes quick, efficient passes on the breakout, something he did quite well on Tuesday night.

An unspectacular but efficient period for Reinbacher, and that’s exactly what the doctor ordered.

Clean exits, quick plays, smart decisions. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/Q6wVZtt25C

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 25, 2024

Et Le But!

It’s been quite a while since the Devils were a boring trap team, but their games versus the Habs rarely provide much entertainment. Thankfully, Michael Pezzetta managed to score during one of the rare shifts given to the fourth line. Full marks to Florian Xhekaj for winning the faceoff with ease, and then proceeding to disrupt the goaltender’s view of the play.

Xhekaj did take a couple of terrible penalties, but to be perfectly fair, he was far from the only one. I’d go as far as saying the Canadiens are less disciplined than a kindergarten class with access to an unlimited supply of juice boxes.

It should be noted Pezzetta would go on to score his second goal of the game, an empty-net marker.

Michael Pezzetta opens the scoring for the Habs.

Very good work by F. Xhekaj to win the faceoff and then create chaos in the crease. #GoHAbsGo pic.twitter.com/RNzcT55bOU

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 25, 2024

Nick Suzuki doubled the lead late in the third period thanks to a very smart play by William Trudeau, who noticed the Devils decided to abandon the Canadiens’ best player in a prime scoring area. Trudeau had an excellent game, arguably the best player on the ice.

If you leave Nick Suzuki alone in the slot, you’re going to have a bad time. Smart play by Trudeau to set him up. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/hF9ygVtNEP

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) September 25, 2024

The Montreal Canadiens will be back in action on Thursday. They will face the Maple Leafs in Toronto, with the puck drop scheduled for 7 pm ET.

All Montreal Canadiens statistics are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.