Winners of two straight on home ice, the Montreal Canadiens were back in action at the Bell Centre on Saturday night, looking to make it three in a row against the Washington Capitals. Unfortunately, they ran into a stellar version of Logan Thompson in net, and couldn’t cash in enough of their chances to extend their winning streak. Still, in losing there were some bright spots that could provide hope for better games to come.
How about Alex Newhook, who has been playing some excellent hockey on the first line, and was finally rewarded for his efforts in the loss.
The top line was particularly effective in transition against Washington, and Newhook’s goal is a great example of that. They move the puck quickly through the neutral zone, and with him filling the right lane, he’s exactly where he needs to be to capitalize on the space created by Caufield attracting attention on the wing. Newhook’s speed has usually been a key skill in transition, but on this play, he showed that he can be effective as the trailer.
For the most part, Newhook’s contributions haven’t really shown up on the score sheet. He’s been playing some quietly good hockey in support of the team’s two best offensive players, and this feels like him figuring out how to get in on the scoring. If that’s the case, this could propel an already potent line into some very interesting production moving forward.
It feels like his spot is just a placeholder for the eventual arrival of Ivan Demidov, but Newhook is proving himself to be a very capable top six contributor. He pivoted a pretty successful second line last season, and now he’s riding shotgun with the team’s two best offensive players. It hasn’t always been picture perfect, but he’s showing some versatility that could make him a pretty big asset to this team.
Now if only they can find a configuration that gets Kirby Dach going the way Newhook has, they’ll really be cooking.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be back on Monday night for the penultimate game of this home stand against the Anaheim Ducks.
