The Montreal Canadiens rookies were hoping for a more favourable result than that of their game against Buffalo less than 24 hours prior, and they got it. Beating the Boston Bruins 4-1, they improved their record to 1-1 at the tournament, and gave their fans plenty to enjoy in the process.
Most notably, the performances of Quentin Miller and Joshua Roy.
Miller didn’t get a whole lot of playing time last year for the Quebec Remparts, stuck behind veteran William Rousseau on a contending team. But when Miller did see the net, he was very dependable, showing great positioning and poise whenever called upon.
This was the story of his outing for the Habs’ rookies on Saturday, with textbook positioning allowing him to make even tough saves look easy for him. This will be a big season for him when he returns to the QMJHL, as he’ll likely get his first chance to really run with the starting position in Quebec.
As for Joshua Roy, there isn’t much more that can be said about how good he’s been in these games. His 200-foot game has drawn plenty of praise, and skating on Saturday with Jan Mysak at centre, he again developed quick chemistry and ended up with a goal and an assist on the afternoon.
That makes three points through two games for Roy in this tournament, and he’s looking ready to make some noise at main camp. Though the likelihood of him starting the season in Laval remains strong, his performance in these rookie games has at least improved his standing well before cuts start being made.
There was also measurable improvement from Logan Mailloux in his second game. Looking considerably more poised with and without the puck, he gave credence to the idea that his rough outing against Buffalo was more nerves than anything else. His pairing with Jayden Struble is one the Laval Rocket may soon be running regularly, so this was a significant development.
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