Now undefeated through two preseason contests, the Montreal Canadiens capped off their back-to-back with a second consecutive shutout, this time with a 3-0 win over the New Jersey Devils. Playing some competent defensive hockey helped them overcome a shockingly futile power play that went scoreless in eight attempts, exposing perhaps their biggest area for improvement in their remaining exhibition games.
It’s a good thing we’re only talking about practice. Not the game. We’re talking about practice, man. But I don’t want to shove it aside like it doesn’t mean anything, because the Habs clearly need a lot of practice when it comes to their power play.
There is far too much standing around, and not enough movement. This was most evident during a long five-on-three chance during the third period, where they barely mustered a shot on goal, let alone anything resembling a quality scoring chance. You don’t want to overreact to a preseason contest, but the coaching staff would undoubtedly have liked to come away with something to show from their eight attempts. They can’t be satisfied with what they saw on Tuesday night, even if it is just practice.
Through their two preseason games to date, we’ve seen enough talent between the two groups in action to suggest that a competent power play configuration exists. With four games left before we’re no longer talking about practice, finding that configuration should be paramount. One of the biggest keys to helping this team take the next step in their rebuild would be to get some semblance of a threatening power play, and league average alone would be a massive improvement on recent years.
Lane Hutson should get a chance to quarterback the top unit with the big guns, perhaps with Patrik Laine as the fourth forward. It does feel a bit like putting all your eggs in one basket, but it’s worth a shot to see if it can kick start some productivity before the games start to matter.
We’re talking about practice, man. And they need it.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, also available wherever you get your podcasts. We’ll be back after Thursday night’s continuation of the preseason against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
